


Growing Up Together

by littlequietone



Category: Adam Lambert (Musician)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, F/M, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pack Dynamics, Rape Recovery, Were-Creatures
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-18
Updated: 2016-06-29
Packaged: 2017-11-25 22:05:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 17
Words: 27,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/643440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlequietone/pseuds/littlequietone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tommy had to admit that the blue-eyed male was the only interesting Omega. <br/>"How long do you think they'll last?" Tommy's friend, Sutan asked.<br/>Tommy chuckled softly. "Depends on how hungry we are."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. New Meat

**Author's Note:**

> My own special werewolf lore is slowly building in my head. I only own the original characters. I do not pretend to know the real people portrayed in this, and therefore whatever the character portrayals of the real people do has no connection to the real people or how they may act. Please do not repost this anywhere. And, enjoy!

It was quite the scandal. For years, the children of the packs had been split up to be educated. Alphas, Betas, Deltas, and Gammas went to one school. At the other school, there were only Omegas. It had been like this for centuries. That is, until the Omega representatives on the Council threw a fit, claiming that the Omega school was so run-down that it was in no way comparable to the other school. It was discrimination, they said. Omegas weren't being educated adequitely. It wasn't fair. 

And the Council agreed.

Rather than re-do the Omega school, they decided that the Omegas would just go to school with the rest of juvenile wolves. It had caused a huge stir. All the adult wolves had an opinion. Some of them agreed. Some were indifferent. Some demanded that Omegas stay at their own school. However, the Council's rule was absolute. Today was the first day the Omegas would be in the main school. All the other students were crowding the windows, wanting to see them. 

Tommy moved some Gamma out of the way. He couldn't stand behind them; he was too short. He didn't look like an Alpha. He was short, slight, with blonde hair, his head shaved on one side. Lots of piercings. Pretty face. People used to use his looks to judge him. He showed them how much of an Alpha he really was. The Deltas went running as soon as he looked in their direction. He was a bit of a bad kid. If he'd been anything but an Alpha, he'd have gotten in serious trouble.

The students all murmured as the bus came up. There were roughly twenty Alpha students, thirty Betas, fourty Deltas, about a hundred Gammas, and would now be about twenty Omegas. Tommy bit his bottom lip curiously. Omega students began to make their way out of the bus. Most of them were small, a fairly even mix of males and females. They were usually slight of stature, not very muscular, not very stunning. One, however, stuck out. He was tall. Like, stupid tall. He had jet black hair and vibrant blue eyes. He was pretty good looking. But the most shocking thing was his size. He towered over the rest of the Omegas. Strange.

Tommy noticed that all the Omegas wore shirts with high collars or scarfs. Tommy knew why. All wolf children were born with a black marking that told them what they were. Alphas had a sharp, almost root-like patter that curled around their right wrist and into their palm. Betas had a very similar marking, however it was smooth and swirly, not with branches and off-shoots like the Alpha mark. Deltas had a spot-like pattern behind their left ear. Gammas had a striped pattern on one of their feet, although it didn't matter which. Omegas had the most elaborate marking. It was a set of black lines, dozens, some with offshoots, most not straight, all intertwined around their shoulders, neck, and upper chest to create a huge, beautiful collar-like marking. It almost looked like Celtic knotting. Tommy wanted to see one. All the Omegas were covering theirs.

"How long do you think they'll last?" Tommy's friend, Sutan asked.

Tommy chuckled softly. "Depends on how hungry we are."

* * *

It went about as well as one would expect it to. Each of the groups had some classes unique to them, but there were also classes where all groups were present, and they did see each other in the cafeteria and dorm. The Gammas were perhaps the worst of all. Before they had been at the bottom of the food chain, despite being the most numerous of the students. Now they had their own to pick on. The Omegas ate after everyone, sat in the back of the class, got the bad tables, got the bad books, the old uniforms, everything you could possible think of. Tommy suspected there was a biased administrator in charge of this somehow. But the worst part was the fact that the Omegas got pushed around. Stepped on. Shoved. The works.

The Omegas didn't really interact with anyone but each other. They were silent when others were around. But among themselves, there was much giggling and smiling. They seemed more than happy to put up with the bullying in exchange for being able to go to the school. Tommy saw two have a near conniption when they realised that they would be able to use a computer on a regular basis in class. They were so excited.

Interesting.

The teachers were keeping a close eye on everyone. They broke up any confrontations that were getting too intense. Tommy wondered vaguely what would happen if they didn't. He hadn't seen any of the Omegas do anything much, but he did notice that the tall Omega with the startling blue eyes glare off some Gamma who was bothering another Omega. 

Tommy had to admit that the blue-eyed male was the only interesting Omega.

He was about to get a lot more interesting. 


	2. Living with Omegas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy receives a new roommate.

Tommy went through roommates like water. He was a highly dominant adolescent Alpha. He often got in fights with the other wolves that were assigned to his room. He didn't back down. If they fucked with him, he returned the favor many times over. He was a little hellcat. And, once again, he was getting a new roommate.

He sat on his bed idly strumming his guitar, indifferent to the situation. He wasn't the least bit interested in his new roommate... until the blue-eyed Omega walked in with a member of the faculty. The faculty member looked at Tommy. "Thomas, this is your new roommate." His eyes warnd Tommy not to run this one off. He left then, leaving the two alone.

Tommy considered scaring the Omega, just to see what he would do, but decided that that was too mean. Instead, he stood and offered his hand. "Hi. I'm Tommy."

The male looked at his hand like it would bite.

"Don't shake?" Tommy raised a brow.

The male reached out and shook his hand, being very careful not to touch the Alpha mark on Tommy's wrist. "I'm Adam."

"Adam," Tommy said. "Good to finally put a name to the face."

"Finally?"

"You stand out among the Omegas," Tommy said, slightly teasing. "You're kind of freakishly tall. And you have the balls to stare down a Gamma or two. Why didn't you want to touch my Alpha mark?"

"You're such an Alpha."

The comment caught Tommy off-guard. He'd expected an answer to his question. "Huh?"

"So straight-forward. Asking personal questions to strangers and expecting answers. Saying things about someone blatantly to their face. Just like an Alpha."

"Are you going to answer me?" He wasn't quite sure what else to say.

Adam said, "touching an Alpha mark can be uncomfortable for an Omega."

"Really?" Tommy asked. He'd never heard of that.

"As you will learn eventually, there's a lot they don't teach you in regular school."

"But Omegas learn?"

Adam smiled ruefully and for the first time, met Tommy's eyes. "Is that a question?"

* * *

Adam was shy. He was quiet. He did his studies. He didn't get in fights. He didn't try to draw too much attention. And he was the perfect roommate, never angering Tommy. In public, they were just that, simply roommates. They never hung out, never talked. There were worlds between them.

However, when alone in their rooms, Adam seemed to relax a little bit. Slowly but surely, they were coming to understand each other.

Adam looked up, flinching, when Tommy threw a book against the wall. Tommy glanced at him, taking in the slightly fearful expression in his face. "Uh, sorry..."

"You okay?" Adam slowly relaxed. Tommy had noticed that all Omegas tensed whenever violence occured or was even hinted at. 

"Yeah, it's just my homework. I don't get it."

Adam shook his head and walked over. They worked through the homework together. Tommy found that not only was Adam a great teacher, but he actually made the material interesting. Tommy would have to get him to explain things more often. He leaned in and Adam unconsciously adjusted the high collar of his shirt. 

"Hey, Adam?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I see your Omega mark?" Tommy had never seen one. He hadn't been with his pack since he'd started going to school at ten, like the rest of the pups. And even when he was a child, the Omegas in his pack had kept theirs covered. Omega marks were supposed to be beautiful. 

"Uhm..." Adam looked away.

"You don't have to show me if you don't want to."

It was the fact that Tommy asked that softened Adam's thoughts. It was one thing to be demanded to do something. But to be given a choice... Omegas valued that. "Yeah, okay."

Adam unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it off. Tommy sucked in a soft breath. It was beautiful. Black marks twisted and knotted themselves around Adam's neck and shoulders, creating a breathtaking collar-like mark. They fell partway down his chest and back. It was like nothing Tommy had ever seen before. None of the other marks were this intense. It wasn't until Adam stiffened that Tommy realized he'd reached out to touch it. He stopped. "Sorry... can I?"

Adam nodded and Tommy closed the gap. The mark was warmer than the rest of Adam's skin. Other than that, it was just as soft. Tommy glanced up into Adam's face to see that the Omega had closed his eyes. "Does it hurt?"

"No," Adam said softly. "It's just more sensative than the rest of my skin."

Tommy pulled his hand away. "It's beautiful..."

Adam pulled his shirt back on, looking away. Tommy saw the beginnings of a blush. "What?"

"It's nothing."

"Tell me."

"There you go with the demands again."

Tommy tensed, his eyes narrowing. He wasn't used to being told 'no'. His wolf didn't like it. He was an Alpha. Adam was an Omega. His wolf felt that Adam should obey him. His lip curled back in a growl.

Adam was on the floor before Tommy could register that he'd even growled. A high-pitched whine was coming from the Omega as he crouched, head turnd to the side, neck-bared. Tommy took a step back, eyes wide. He didn't know what was going on. He hurried out, confused. When he came back after clearing his head, Adam was gone.


	3. I eat boys up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am going to write a hilarious chapter and you are going to smile, damn it.   
> No need to comment, you know who you are.
> 
> The Lyrics are from Ke$ha's song "Cannibal".

Tommy hated it when Sutan showed up in his dorm room unannounced. Which is precicely why Sutan did it so often. He opened the door to Tommy's room silently so as not to alert anyone to his presence. If he was lucky, maybe he'd catch Tommy jacking off. He didn't like Tommy that way, but he wasn't opposed to a good show.

Unfortunately, Tommy wasn't there. But Sutan did hear a tantalizingly seductive voice coming from the bathroom. It was... amazing. It enraptured him like a siren song. 

_ "I eat boys up, breakfast and lunch, _

_ Then when I'm thirsty, I drink their blood. _

_ Carnivore animal, I am a cannibal, _

_I eat boys up, you better run."_  
  
Adam stepped out of the bathroom, clad only in a towel. Luckily for Sutan, he was turned just so that he didn't see the Alpha. He coninued to sing, brushing his hair and plugging in a hair-drier. 

_ "I am cannibal _

_ Cannibal, cannibal, I am _

_ I am cannibal _

_ Cannibal, I am _

_I'll eat you up."_  
  
Sutan leaned back and enjoyed the show, taking in Adam barely-covered body. Sutan couldn't help but lick his lips. He wanted to trace that Omega marking with his tongue. Adam looked in the mirror to dry his hair and glimpsed Sutan in the reflection. With a squeal worthy of a grade-school girl, he whirled around, holding the hair drier like a deadly weapon.

"Oh, please, don't stop on my account," Sutan purred. "I was enjoying the show."

"Who are you?" Adam stuttered.

"Who am I? Who are you?" Sutan advanced, watching Adam clutch the hair-drier tighter.

 _"Sutan!_ "

Sutan turned around to see Tommy standing in the doorway. "Yes?" he purred.

"Sutan, don't go breaking into people's rooms."

"You didn't tell me you got a delicious hunk of man-meat as your new roommate, TJ," Sutan said, looking Adam over in long, intimate glances.

Tommy scowled, but then he took in the look on Adam's face. Omegas didn't like to be surprised. They didn't like their marks shown. They didn't like strange Alphas looking at them like food. Adam was doing well by not screaming and running. But since he looked petrified, Tommy took it upon himself to go to Adam's dresser and grab some clothes, throwing them at his roommate. "Adam. Go dress in the bathroom."

Adam nodded a bit too fast and escaped to the bathroom.

"He's adorable," Sutan said.

"Don't scare the Omega," Tommy chastized.

"Since when have you been so protective?"

Tommy glanced at the floor. He and Adam hadn't seen each other for two days after that weird episode. It'd only been a few days like that. Tommy wanted to know what the hell had happened, but Adam hadn't said anything. And he sure wasn't going to force it out of the Omega. Everytime he looked at Adam, the way Adam had looked that day flashed in his mind. Terrified. Helpless. Tommy had done that, and he didn't even understand.

When Adam came back out, he was fully dressed and looking slightly more comfortable. Sutan grinned at him. "So, do you really eat boys up?"

"What?" Tommy looked at Sutan, then Adam, confused.

"Well, he was singing," Sutan said. "Singing 'I eat boys up'."

"You sing?" Tommy asked Adam.

"He does," Sutan said. "Very we-" 

Adam threw his towel at Sutan, cutting him off. Tommy's jaw dropped. He'd never seen an Omega do such a rude thing. Adam look mortified the moment he realised what he'd done. Sutan didn't seem angry, but it was clear Adam was expecting him to be. He backed up a few steps and Tommy... just moved. He didn't realise he'd reacted until he was between Adam and Sutan, giving Adam the protection he desired. Adam relaxed a bit when Sutan laughed good-naturedly. _Good_ , Tommy thought. _Maybe this will be okay._

Leave it to Sutan to be a pain in the ass.

"So when should I expect puppies named after me?" Sutan cooed.

" _What?_ "

"Oh, Tommy, I can see what's going on here," Sutan said. "This Alpha and Omega relationship will be a huge scandal, but of course I support you."

"We... we're not dating!" Tommy said. "Sutan, you know I prefer women." Tommy's phone beeped and he pulled it out to check it. "Damn. I gotta go. Don't torture him, Sutan." He turned and hurried out.

Sutan and Adam stood there in silence, one moping and one smirking.

"You're an ass, you know that?" Adam muttered.

Sutan threw an arm around Adam's shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you get him."

"I didn't say I wanted him!"

Sutan just grinned.


	4. Omegas Know Everything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy finds out that Alphas know nothing, and Omegas know everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feels so good to write a chapter again. Been so busy lately, with a sick cat (my poor pretty kitty) and a roommate with a horrible concussion (for secrecy purposes, I can't tell you how she got it, but just think of the most idiotic, stupid way someone can get a concussion, and you're probably not far from the truth). But this chapter was fun.

*Two Weeks Later*

It seemed that Alphas and Omegas just weren't meant to be friends. Adam and Tommy had been nice to each other. They still were. The roommate situation was perfectly respectful. But there was a growing distance between them. They had different friends. They had different classes. They were... different.

It didn't help that Adam seemed terrified to acknowledge Tommy's presence ninety percent of the time. Tommy tried to understand. He tried to look at it from Adam's point of view. Lambs didn't just frolic with lions. If Adam got too close, there was the chance the other students might throw a fit. It seemed that ever since The Incident, Adam had been acting weird. Sutan had only made it worse, embarrassing Adam liked that. Tommy's patience was running thin. He'd liked being friendly with Adam, but now he was almost always being submissively brushed off.

Alphas were NOT brushed off.

"I'm sick of this, Adam," Tommy said upon entering their room.

Adam raised his head, not tense, but... cautious. He was sitting on his bed reading. "Sick of what?"

"We were getting along. Now you act like I've got the plague!"

"And you think that yelling at me, an Omega, is going to fix that?"

Tommy deflated. Instantly. Completely. Adam was so right. Yelling would only make it worse, causing an Omega to feel frightened and threatened. With one sentence, Adam had popped Tommy's happily angry perfect little bubble. Tommy let out a breathless, surprised laugh. Adam regarded him warily.

When Tommy stopped laughing, he looked at Adam, smiling sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I'm being a dick Alpha."

Adam smiled tentatively. "Yeah."

"I don't want you to avoid me, Adam."

Adam looked away, fidgeting. "I know. I don't mean to. It's just... I don't want to get my head ripped off. They might get angry if we hang out outside of our room."

"Who?"

"Everyone."

"Even other Omegas?"

Adam chuckled. "They might think I've been telling you all our secrets."

"I'll tell you Alpha secrets in exchange."

Adam rolled his eyes with a soft snort. "Alphas don't HAVE secrets. No wolves except Omegas have secrets."

"What do you mean?"

Adam shrugged nonchalantly. "Omegas know everything."

Tommy had to scoff. "They do not."

"Do too. How do you think we survive? We have to now everyone and everything so we can adapt to every situation. Otherwise, we might say or do something wrong. And then we get hurt. Granted, we make mistakes, and it takes practice, but Omegas know everything."

Tommy shook his head. "How much is the Omega Council not telling us?"

Adam stiffened. "Please... don't ask me that."

Tommy understood by the helpless look on Adam's face. He'd put Adam between a rock and a hard place. He could force Adam to tell, but them Adam might get in trouble. "I'm sorry. I won't ask."

Adam relaxed and smiled with a nod. 

"Friends?" Tommy offered.

Adam chuckled. "My mama warned me about Alphas like you."

* * *

"Tommy Joe, get pretty."

Tommy looked up from his homework as the Omega entered their room. "Huh?"

"You heard me. Get pretty. We're going somewhere."

"It's..." Tommy checked the clock. "Two in the morning."

"You weren't sleeping. I don't see the problem."

"Uhm, okay." He was surprised by the fact that Adam had basically commanded him, not asked. The surprise evolved into a warm feeling. Adam trusted him enough to be more normal with him. He got up and began to throw "pretty" clothes on. He figured skinny jeans, chucks, and a graphic t-shirt that was a bit indecently tight would work. "Am I good?"

Adam chuckled. "Come here, pretty kitty."

Tommy raised a brow. "Kitty?"

Adam's smile faltered. "Sorry."

"No, no, you just surprised me," Tommy said, not wanting to bruise Adam's new-found confidence around him. He went over to Adam and sat in the chair Adam was gesturing to. After being told to close his eyes and much giggling, Tommy was finally able to look in the mirror. "Holy fuck..." Adam had done a number on Tommy. His eyes were thickly rimmed with black eyeliner, accented with dark blueish-purple eyeshadow and a dusting of glitter across his cheeks. Tommy didn't normally wear makeup like that, but looking in the mirror... he looked hot. "Damn, Adam." It wasn't like he'd never worn makeup. Sutan often had his way with him. He'd need to take a picture to show Sutan.

"Now just don't mess it up while I get ready," Adam said with a chuckle. 

After a bit, Adam came back. Tommy couldn't see much of his outfit because he was wearing a large coat, but he had some killer boots on. With about a three-inch heel. Tommy had to snort at that.

"What?"

"Like you need to be taller." He looked up at Adam's face, widening his eyes. Adam had makeup on too. His hair was done up. He looked... fierce. Like someone who might pick a fight just for fun. He'd never seen Adam look like that. 

They proceeded to sneak out of the dorm. Tommy wouldn't have been surprised if they'd gone to the student center, but Adam took him to the parkin structure. Tommy's shock was growing steadily. It shot up a few points when Adam pulled keys out of his pocket and unlocked one of the cars, telling Tommy to get in.

"How'd you get a key?" Tommy asked. These were cars that the school owned and keys were kept by the headmaster.

"I'm crafty like that," Adam said with a grin. "Omega, remember?" He turned on the car and began to drive off.

"We're leaving the school grounds?" Tommy asked. It was forbidden. Also difficult. There were gates.

"The gates have been opened," Adam said conversationally. That answered one question and raised so many more.

"Where are we going?" Tommy asked.

Adam tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. "An... Omega gathering outside the grounds."

"Won't they get angry that you brought me?" Tommy asked.

Adam grinned, still watching the road, but his eyes were bright. "I figured if I was already going to break rules tonight, what was wrong with breaking a few more? Just be on your best behavior. No commanding."

"Scout's honor," Tommy said softly, still surprised.

"Besides, I brought you," Adam said. "So either you're a dick and forced me to, or you're cool. That's how they'll see it. As long as you don't piss anyone off, they'll realize it's the latter."

"Okay..." 

They eventually arrived at what looked like a run down old building. Adam parked the car and they got out. Adam led Tommy through a door and down some stairs. Tommy could hear the music before they got there. Heavy. Erotic. Powerful. The room was large and full of people. Tommy could smell the human stench in the room, weak but oh so alive. This was a human gathering that the Omegas were crashing. A rave of sorts. They walked over to a group of Omegas, several of them being students from the school that Tommy recognized.

"Hey Adam," one said. "Hey... uhm..." He was a short male, with brown hair and eyes. Tommy often saw him hanging out with Adam. His name was Brad... maybe... He looked at Tommy warily, knowing who he was obviously.

"I brought a friend," Adam said. "His name is Tommy Joe. Don't worry, he'll keep the claws in."

"Now, now, Adam, enough with the kitty jokes," Tommy said. "I thought that was pillow talk only."

A few of the Omegas chuckled softly, beginning to relax. Tommy's joke had done the trick. They were still wary of him, but at least they didn't smell like they were going to start running anytime soon anymore. 

After a bit of time and a few drinks (Holy shit, Omegas drank alcohol like it was water!), the Omegas had loosened up enough. Tommy watched curiously as they began to shrug off their coats and scarves, which they were all wearing. Tommy's jaw nearly dropped when he saw how they were dressed. Tight pants or short skirts, lots of leather and lace. But that wasn't the surprising part. They were all wearing shirts that didn't cover their Omega marks. Hell, they SHOWCASED them. Their shirts were either cut horribly low, with no sleeves, or see-through. Some of them were even wearing strapless shirts. Omegas always hid their marks at school. For the first time, Tommy considered how confining that must be.

They split up and began to dance. Tommy felt privy to an amazing secret. When the Omegas were with humans, they were... confident, if not cocky. It made sense. Humans were prey creatures. Omegas were... Omegas, but still wolves. Predators. This was the one place the Omegas could be at the top of the food chain. For once, they didn't have to be afraid. Tommy let himself go and began to dance too. He was here to have fun. Might as well do it. He found a cute girl and began to dance with her.

"Hey, can I cut in?"

It was a man's voice, that's all Tommy could recognize amongst the loud music and mix of scents. He turned, expecting to give up the girl. But it was Adam, and he pulled Tommy away instead. Tommy began to dance with him because... why the hell not? Adam was a fantastic dancer, it turned out.

And a singer, Tommy found out later.

There was no open mic, but the owner of the place welcomed Adam up onto stage. Obviously, he'd done this before. He was a different person on stage. Or, maybe, he was just himself without a leash. He had an amazing voice, and an amazing presence to match. He demaned attention, something Omegas never did. Tommy felt himself drawn to it, this secret side of Adam.

" _Feels like I'm having a meltdown_  
 _It feels like I'm losing control_  
 _They tell me I'm a danger to myself_  
 _Now the crazy train is ready to roll, oh_."

Tommy laughed. Damn. This was amazing.

_"Walk that walk_  
 _Like you don't give a fuck_  
 _You got a right to turn it up and get down_  
 _Electric shock, no I can't get enough_  
 _'Cause tonight we're taking over the town, hey_  
  
 _I wanna lose my mind, like a maniac_  
 _And cross the line, never looking back_  
 _We're on the loose, getting crazy_  
 _And we've gone cuckoo_  
 _Gonna party 'til they take us away."_

That's what it felt like. Like the night would never end. Tommy didn't want it to. He was dancing with the Omegas, having an amazing time, all of them enveloped in Adam's rich voice. However, the night did end, and when the night was over, Tommy was as drunk as anyone. He hadn't had any alcohol, but the life in the air, the mix of sweat and excitement, that was enough to get him drunk. He stumbled out to the car with Adam, laughing. "Holy shit, Adam, Omegas know how to party!"

"Damn straight," Adam growled. He'd stayed sober, having to drive home. 

When they finally got home, Tommy flopped down on his bed. "I'm exhausted. How much time do we have before class?"

Adam checked the clock. "An hour and a half."

Tommy groaned. "I'm sick, and you're staying here to nurse me back to health, which is why none of us are going to be in class."

"Will that work?" Adam asked. 

Tommy lifted his head. "Being an Alpha has it's advantages too, you know."

Adam laughed. 


	5. Bonded

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Headmistress knows something Tommy doesn't. Doesn't everybody?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No offense to florists. You guys are awesome.

It was bound to happen.

Adam knew his new-found openness with Tommy would get him in trouble. Ever since the party, Tommy had been kind to him and the other Omegas. It was... nice. Comforting. But it was also dangerous. 

"Hey, _Omega_."

Adam backed up a bit, head down as the Delta and Beta advanced. He could hear the venom dripping from their words. He was in for it. As an Omega, he always knew when a wolf was just out for blood. The backs on his legs hit the table behind him, preventing him from moving any further. He was tallr than these two. Bigger. In a physical fight, he could probably take one of them. But dominance wasn't just about physicality. Sure, it helped, but dominance was something inside someone, something they were born with. It was part of their personality. It didn't matter if the Omega was a trained assassin and the Alpha was a florist. It was in the soul of the wolf.

"Heard you'd volunteered to help people with their homework," the Beta said. "That's why you've been hanging out with that Alpha, Tommy, right? I've got a paper due in a few days. I'm sure you wouldn't mind... helping me out with it?"

Omegas already had one of the highest workloads. Some of the teachers were biased. Sure, no one would admit to that, but all the Omegas knew it was true. Omegas had to be nearly perfect in order to survive. Any crack in the foundation could be exploited. They studied harder than any other student. So to pin more work on them... 

"My paper too," the Delta said. "You won't mind, right?"

Adam lowered his head further. He couldn't say no. It would just make things worse. But he didn't want to comply either, and let them walk all over him.

"Well, hello there. Might I ask what the ** _fuck_** you two are doing?" Tommy purred as he walked up. Adam flinched at the tone in his voice. Even if it wasn't directed at him, an Alpha's malice was a potent thing for an Omega. 

The Delta backed up a bit, but the Beta bared his teeth in a grin that was more wolf than human. "What's it to you?"

It was a dangerous question. Even the teachers didn't like wolves "hooking up" and creating psuedo packs. The students had enough to deal with as it was, and the teachers had a hard enough problem controlling them. The wolves always had friends, especially within their own dominance level, but for wolves from different levels to play pack... it was highly frowned upon. Tommy could get in trouble if he was accused of laying claim to someone. This was school, not the real world. Tommy couldn't claim anyone.

Tommy thought that was absolute bullshit, and his wolf didn't appreciate being snarled at with such blatant disrespect. By the time he his the Beta, he was in his wolf form.

Let the fight begin.

The Beta exploded into a brown wolf, snarling and snapping. The color was the only way Adam could tell them apart in the fray of fur and fang. The Beta wasd brown while Tommy was a soft blonde color. Adam backed up as far as he could, even going under the table. His inner Omega was terrified. Watching the violence and anger, all he could think was _Oh Good Moon they're going to come after me_.

Tommy didn't stop trying to tear into the Beta unil he was forcibly pulled away. He turned to snap at whoever was touchin him, only to receive a slap to the face. Stunned, he looked up to see the Headmistress. His ears went down and his tail tucked between his legs. He was still twitching with anger, but he knew better than to mess with her ire. 

"Thomas, come to my office. Now." She turned and walked towards her office. Tommy followed, glancing back at Adam. His heart fell. Adam was staring at the place the fight had been, eyes wide, pale and shaking with fear. The Beta was being taken to another teacher's office, all bloody and bruised. Tommy would have felt a surge of _got-what-you-deserved-fucker_ if it hadn't been for the fear on Adam's face. 

When he got into the office, he obediently shifted into human form and put on the clothes the Headmistress tossed at him. Sweats and a t-shirt. Obviously only there for students who had shifted and torn their clothes. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked down, feeling guilty for putting that look on Adam's face.

"Care to explain?"

"He started it," Tommy muttered, even though he knew the line wouldn't work.

"You're the Alpha." Bingo. "It's your job to keep control of things. If he was pissing you off, it was your job to take charge of the situation, not childishly attack him. You know that."

"He bared his teeth at me!" Tommy retorted. "No Alpha would let that slide."

"BUT YOU'RE NOT AN ALPHA!" she snapped before lowering her voice. "Not a true one. Not yet. You're still a pup. You will be an Alpha, but here you have no pack, no wolves to call your own."

Tommy shut his mouth and looked away. He knew the rules. He knew he was in the wrong.

"What did he do to anger you so?" she asked, her voice softer and more understanding. Tommy had spent quite a bit of time in her company, enough to know she truely cared about her students. As a real Alpha should. And she was an Alpha, had to be to be Headmistress. "You don't normally get that violent. He will have to have stitches."

"He and a Gamma were bullying Adam, the Omega. My roommate," he added quickly. 

"Most Alpha students don't concern themselves with Omega students." She tilted her head, looking at him.

"He's my roommate!" Tommy snapped, feeling a shock of insult.

"That word. 'My'. 'Mine'." Her eyes were soft and missed nothing. "Have you lain claim to this Omega, Tommy?"

Tommy knew he should say no. But she would smell the lie. It was true. Adam was more than just another student to him. "He's my friend."

"You feel protective of him."

Tommy nodded, eyes down.

"By school rules, I should separate you two."

Tommy didn't look up, waiting for her verdit.

"I will allow it," she said finally. 

Tommy's head snapped up in shock. "What? You'll let us stay roommates, in the same classes? But I broke a rule."

"There are more important things than the rules of a school, Thomas," she said, standing and walking over to him to rest her han on his shoulder. "Someday, you will know why I allowed this."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tommy asked, too stunned to bite back the disrespectful words.

She laughed an Alpha's laugh, full of sharp teeth and arrogance, but it wasn't frightening to Tommy. It was almost like a joke, something only an Alpha would understand. "You still have much to learn. I do believe your Adam is starting to figure things out."

Tommy's heart swelled at those two words, _'your Adam'_. 

Damn right he was.

* * *

And, as such, it was his job to comfort the Omega he'd scared. He slowly opened the door to their room, seeing Adam sitting on the bed, studying. There was a fear to Adam's posture that hurt Tommy's heart. He walked over and sat next to Adam, resting his chin on Adam's shoulder and looking down at the homework. "Hey."

"Hey," Adam said quietly.

"So, I was insensitive today, acting like that infront of you," Tommy said conversationally. "I should know better than to show my teeth like that. So I figured I'd come and grovel for your forgiveness."

Adam made a soft sound, almost a snort. "This is you grovelling?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"You suck at it." He turned his body to face Tommy. "Such an Alpha."

Tommy gave Adam his best shit-eating grin.

Adam chuckled. "I forgive you. I know you were just trying to protect me."

"It's my fault," Tommy said. "I'm an Alpha, you're an Omega. They'll tease you over me. It's not fair, and I hate it."

Adam reached out and ruffled Tommy's hair. "It's okay. You can always come to my rescue, as long as you don't fight." His face fell. "Ah, but the rules..."

"The Headmistress said we can stay like this," Tommy said. "She said there were things more important than rules. I don't get it, but if we can stay roommates and friends, I don't care." He watched as an odd look passed across Adam's face. "What?"

"Just... she doesn't miss much, does she?"


	6. Bare Chests and Confusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam gets hot and bothered, and Tommy gets confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I've been gone so long! The end of the year was so hectic, and then I was busy getting a summer job. But I'm going to try to get back into the swing of things. Hope you all like it. I certainly missed my boys ;).

After that, Adam and Tommy got to spend time together. None of the other students targeted Adam for being with Tommy in public. Even the Omegas were getting used to it. They were the least tempermental, after all, and seemed to accept the bond between the two. The Alphas teased Tommy and Adam a little, but there wasn't any heat behind it. Some were jealous that they hadn't been separated, but most didn't mind. They thought it was cute. Adam and Tommy became as close in public as they were in their room. They ate lunch together, studied together, rested outside together. And it wasn't like they were alone all the time. They had become comfortable with each other's friends and often hung out in groups. Sometimes, even the other Omegas and Alphas they knew would hang out with them at the same time. 

It was awful.

Not that Adam didn't like hanging out with Tommy. He did. That was the problem. He wouldn't admit it out loud, surely not when Tommy was there, but Tommy hit every single kink Adam had. He was exactly his type, small, pretty, and saucy. Adam had to constantly be careful that he didn't let his desire get out of control. A little lust in the air wasn't anything unusual. They were teenage wolves after all. It was a regular occurance to get a whiff of lust. But to be giving off the scent of desire in waves was a dead giveaway that there was someone close that was really turning that particular wolf on. 

And with Tommy being so close all the time, Adam had to be constantly on guard.

Sometimes being on guard wasn't enough.

One of the classes the wolves partook in was a physical class that taught them how to survive in certain situations, such as fire, being stuck in a hole, and other things. Today's lesson was on swimming in rapids. It didn't seem like it would be important, but to a wolf running through the woods on the night of a full moon, they could run into anything, even traps. The school had a small pool that would simulate rapids in a river. The students were taking turns being thrown in and having to fight their way out. The teachers were watching to make sure no one drown, but other than that, they were staying back. Tommy had gotten thrown in not too long ago, and was just now climbing out, panting, wild life lighting his eyes up. 

"Nice," Raja said. Adam had never met a wolf quite like her, but he enjoyed both her and Sutan. Today, she was in class. "You're such a stubborn little shit." Tommy had fought the rapids hard.

"I'm an Alpha," Tommy laughed out, still slightly out of breath.

"Enjoy yourself?"

"Of course." Tommy reached down and stripped his soaked t-shirt off. It wasn't abnormal for the pups to walk around in minimal clothing. Adam saw someone shirtless several times a day. They weren't allowed to be naked, but that rule left a lot to play with. Still, Adam wasn't prepared for this sight.

Tommy was lean, almost wirey, but covered in sleek muscle. Small, but still powerful. His porcelain skin was poured over him like liquid ivory. Crystaline drips slid down his bare skin, running over each rope of muscle. His hair was plastered against his face and he was grinning, laughing a bit. He was so beautiful, flushed from the effort and so alive and happy.

Adam excused himself to the bathroom, nearly running out. He pressed his forehead against the cool mirror, trying to slow his breathing. Tommy wasn't his. He couldn't look at him like that. Certainly not if he wanted to continue their friendship. If Tommy smelled that lust coming from him, it'd be over. They may have just been friends, but Adam would take him any way he could get him. Because, it wasn't just hid body that Adam liked. It was him, all of him, mind, body, and soul. So even if they were just friends, Adam would take it. Tommy's smile, his happiness, was enough.

"Not quite prepared for that?"

Adam turned his head slightly at Raja's voice. "Aren't you supposed to be in the girl's bathroom?"

"But you're in here," she said. "Hiding that hard-on."

"I'm not hard," Adam muttered, glaring at himself in the mirror.

"You sure smell it."

"Don't tell him, Raja."

"I won't. I would never meddle like that. If anyone tells him, it should be you." She leaned against the sink, looking at Adam. "You're just going to continue to hide your desire?"

"I love being friends with him," Adam defended. "I don't want to ruin that."

"But you want more."

"I want him happy most of all," Adam retorted. 

Raja put her well-manicured hand on Adam's shoulder. "Just take care of yourself, alright?"

"I will. I do like being friends with him. He's great. He's the best roommate ever."

"I know quite a few people who would dispute that last part."

"That's because they don't know how to handle him."

"I suppose." She held out her hand. "Come on, let's go back."

Adam took it and let her walk him back to the pool. While she meddled, and that made him nervous, he really enjoyed Raja. She was a nice Alpha, the kind that really took care of someone. The mothering kind. And he honestly loved his Tranma.

Tommy had (Thank the moon) put a shirt on by the time Adam got back. It stuck to his wet body, but it was enough that Adam could handle the sight. He smiled at Adam. "Your turn."

Adam sighed and went up to the font of the line. The water hit him hard, cold and violent. He fought his way to the surface. Long legs and arms weren't always the best, especially when you were still learning how to use them. He went back under a few times before making it to the surface for good and reaching the side, managing to climb out. He stood and coughed a bit, getting a few rough pats on the back. Such things like this were bonding for the students. Adam shook his head to get the water out of his hair and pulled off his own shirt. He now understood why Tommy had done it. The air conditioning was on in this room, and a wet shirt was like ice against his skin.

Tommy glanced at Adam. He'd never seen the boy without a shirt on before. Adam was certainly built different than he was. Where he was small and wirey, Adam was tall and strong. He turned his head away quickly when he found himself staring. What the hell was THAT all about?

He was happy when Adam got a dry shirt on. Then he was angry. Confused. Why had Adam's bare chest bothered him? It wasn't like he'd never seen another guy's chest before. But for some reason, seeing Adam without one had messed with him. There had been a tightening in his chest, and that made him angry. He didn't understand. It shouldn't have bothered him.

He knew Adam had noticed his bad mood when they'd gotten back to their room. That had been their last class, and they were all due for showers. He could tell Adam had noticed because he was being all "Omega-ish", trying to please Tommy by offering to do things and doting on him. It was mildly annoying, but Tommy knew it was just Adam wanting to make him feel better, that it was an Omega thing. He couldn't really help it. 

"I'm alright, Adam."

"But you smell angry."

"I'm just... I'm just confused."

"With your homework? I can try to explain it to you." He often did. Adam was very good at that.

"No, not that. It's okay, Adam, just leave it, I'll feel better in the morning."

Adam sighed softly and went to bed, knowing better than to push it for now. Sometimes he did push Tommy, but he usually knew when not to. Tommy went to bed, feeling slightly bad for worrying his friend. But he was just confused, and he didn't want to talk about it. Maybe he was sick or something. He was sure he'd feel better in the morning. 


	7. Drunk Tommy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drunk Tommy does all sorts of things that Sober Tommy wouldn't...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things have been crazy lately. Foster kittens. Crazy job. Psychotic roommates. Fun. Still, I shouldn't make excuses. Gotta get my writer's butt in gear!

It was true that the feeling vanished the next morning. Tommy was great at ignoring things. In fact, he had honestly forgotten about the whole situation. There were too many other things to think about. The Alphas had just started their fight training. Of course, the class was carefully organized. Well, organized mass chaos, that is. The class was such a big deal that the entire school took an hour off to watch. Betas got to join in sometimes. No one else could fight, but every student wanted to watch. The reason the entire school watched was because nearly half the student population would skip class to go watch. They hadn't been able to give out enough detentions, so they just cancelled class for an hour. Yeah. 

The Omegas' section was the farthest away. It wasn't ncessarily because they were on the low end of the pecking order. They'd just get antsy when too close to a fight. Adam and the others shuffled into their seats, nervous and sweating fear. They were just an interested, but that much sheer aggression in one room wasn't enjoyable. The other students came in, fairly mixed together. The Alphas were just coming in to start stretching. A small Omega next to Adam tensed, biting his nails. A row or two away, a Delta smelled his fear. She glanced back and gestured at him. "Hey, Omega, c'mere."

Confused, Omega stood and shuffled over to her. She pulled him down next to her and put an arm over his shoulders. "Here, sit with me." Her mere presence, the offer of safety, calmed the Omega.

All the students looked around, a soft murmur going through them all. Then, one by one, quietly, most of the Deltas and Gammas, even some Betas that weren't fighting, all took Omegas by their side. Surrounded by higher-ranking wolves, the Omegas relaxed. Snuggled up next to a Gamma from one of his classes, Adam was fighting shock. He'd never thought that the other wolves would take care of him and the other Omegas like this. At first, his kind had been shunned. Now... it seemed like the other students were, for the most part, accepting them. Growing to care for them. And that was more relaxing than anything.

Adam's eyes focused on Tommy after he settled in. He couldn't get enough of him. And seeing him stretch that sexy little body...

"You're crushing on the Alpha Tommy Joe, right?" the Gamma asked, glancing up at him.

Adam blushed. But he couldn't hide it. Hell, she'd probably smell it on him during the entire class. "Please don't tell anyone."

"You're secret's safe with me, Adam," she said. "You're not the only one who's got a thing for an Alpha." Her gaze drifted over to one of the Alpha males and she sighed dreamily.

Adam chuckled. "Shall we swoon together?"

"Hell, yeah."

The majority of the fights were short. The class had just started, and it was really just the teachers trying to get a feel for how the Alphas fought so far. There were a few times when the Omegas tensed, but with their classmates at their sides', they were fine. It was actually quite fun to watch, since no one was getting seriously hurt.

Raja ended up fighting at one point. Part of Adam was surprised that Raja was the one that was fight. Most of him, however, wasn't. Raja could handle herself. She was a very respectful fighter, at least, until her opponent pulled her hair. Murmurs flowed through the crowd at the dirty move. After that, she fought with everything she had. She hit hard, and she was strong. The teachers had to call of the fight before she broke something that wasn't hers. There was cheering as she walked away, because everyone could appreciate that kind of ferocity.

Adam sat a bit straighter when Tommy stepped into the ring. 

Tommy was grinning wickedly. He was facing off against a large male Alpha who had to be nearly twice his weight, and looked like he didn't give a shit. That was so Tommy Joe. The bell rang and the two went at it. When the male hit, it was like a freight train. But he had a hard time landing a blow, because Tommy was fast and agile. He ducked and twisted, laughing the entire time and getting in a few good jabs with his elbows. Adam had actually been on the receiving end of those bony daggers before, though by accident, and knew the damage they could cause. They hurt like hell. 

Tommy still ended up losing. He'd need some training to overcome his size issue. But he gave the other Alpha a run for his money, even biting him once or twice. They were confined to human form, but that didn't stop Tommy when he was put in a headlock. It made Adam laugh. His little firecracker. No. Not HIS.

Ah, damn, but he was...

The students were so wound up after the first fight class that the Headmistress allowed them to party that night. The campus had a few buildings that weren't school-related at all, just places to hang out. Of course, the parties were supposed to be "tame"... but they never were completely controlled. The Headmistress had to be aware of some of it, but let it happen for reasons untold. 

The particular party Adam and Tommy went to wasn't that bad. There wasn't any fighting. The only rule broken was the rule against alcohol. Adam had no idea where the alcohol came from. Tommy didn't give a shit. He wasn't an alcoholic, in fact, he rarely drank, but he enjoyed getting smashed every so often. At first, Adam tried to tell him to take it easy, but all he had to do was smile and Adam would let him do all sorts of irresponsible things. He'd learned that over time. 

Adam watched out for Tommy after he got shit-faced. Tommy was a bad drunk. Actually, he was kind of a cute drunk, all happy and affectionate. Adam kept trying to tell himself not to laugh, because it wasn't funny, but it kind of was. And Raja was there, too, to keep an eye on Tommy, so it was alright.

After a while, Tommy and Adam left. Adam managed to get him back to their room without any major mishaps. He set him down on his bed and began to take his shoes off. "You are so high-maintenance when you're drunk."

"Am not," Tommy said, giggling. "You're just anal about taking care of people."

Adam had to let him have that one. "At least undress yourself. We have to get to bed eventually."

"Undress myself? Looking to get something, Adam?" Tommy batted his eyelashes. 

At first, Adam tensed, but when he saw the glazed look in Tommy's eyes, he realised he hadn't really meant anything. "You're drunk."

"And you're sexy." Adam wasn't prepared to have his shirt grabbed and yanked. He ended up on the bed on top of Tommy, who rolled so that he was sitting on Adam, straddling him.

"Tommy Joe, get off." Adam fought to keep his voice steady. 

"I'd love to." Adam hadn't meant the sexual innuendo, but before he could correct himself, Tommy was kissing him. And, like, not a peck. Like REALLY kissing him. Adam's mouth opened with surprise and Tommy's tongue was in there, exploring him. Adam really couldn't help himself. He was just a teenage boy, after all. And this was just too much for him. 

So it really, really wasn't his fault.

He grabbed Tommy by his hair on the back of his neck, pulling him into a better position. Tommy growled into his mouth, giving back just as much, his hands fisting in Adam's shirt and holding tight. The kiss was full of teeth, little nips, and animalistic growls, broken only for small gasps for air. Tommy tasted of power and life and male. 

And then he was rolling off, just before he passed out into a deep sleep. Adam licked his lips, tasing alcohol now, but still tasting Tommy.

So, Adam definitely needed to get Tommy drunk more often. 


	8. The Hangover (And other various issues)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hangover are the second-worst. Guess what the first is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> May or may not have been drooling over Adam Lambert music videos while writing this.

_THUD!_

It had to have been a dream, right? That wouldn't really happen. He'd had some pretty fucked up dreams when he'd gotten smashed before. But this was on a whole different level. Like Mt. St. Hellens compared to an anthill kind of different.

_THUD!_

Whether or not it had happened actually wasn't the problem. After all, everyone did weird things when they were hammered. Yeah, totally. Like kissing your roommate and best friend kind of weird. It happened. It could be brushed off as the alcohol talking. He'd been known to get kinda touchy-feely when he was drunk. But fucking remembering it and...

_THUD!_

Okay, so maybe the memory wasn't a bad one. Maybe that was the alcohol talking too. Adam was... kind of pretty, wasn't he? Girly enough to confuse Tommy?

"Who the fuck are you trying to kid?" he hissed under his heaving breath, hugging the punching bag for support. "If it was one of those little femmie Omegas, maybe, but Adam looks more masculine than you do!" He reared back and let another punch fly. _THUD!_ The shock from hitting the bag ran all the way up his arm and vibrated throughout his torso. He grimaced and turned green when it sloshed his stomach. This was probably not the best thing to do with the Hangover from Hell, but he wasn't exactly the king of bright ideas. Besides, he'd turned the lights in the room off. That should have counted for something. 

"You're up early."

Great. Just what he needed, a sassy female to invade his little bubble of panic. "Not feeling good, Raja."

"I'm not surprised, considering you drank like a fish last night. You thrown up yet?"

"Got it out of my system already." _THUD!_ Fuck, this bag probably weighed more than he did.

"If you're not feeling good, why are you working out?" Her perfectly manicured hands delicated rested on either side of the punching bag to steady it as she stepped behind it. She peeked out from one side. "Won't that just make you feel worse?"

"I need to get stronger. I lost yesterday, remember?" He wouldn't dare hit the bag with her on the other side. Heaven only know what height of heels she was wearing. True, she could handle herself in heels, and would probably be able to stay on her feet even if he hit the bag hard, but he wouldn't do that. He did have SOME class. He glanced at her hands, noticing one flaw on her right ring finger. "You rip off that nail during the fight yesterday?"

She pushed out a large sigh. "YES. He messed up my nails. I'm gonna have to get them fixed again. But that's not the issue here. The issue is why you're feeling the need to come and work out, with a hangover, this early in the morning." She pursed her lips and lifted her brows. "Did you even have your coffee?"

It almost made him grin. But he was too wound  up in his angsty mood and a grin would have just ruined the effect. Besides, Raja was always saying how much she liked Tommy's pouts. "I just needed to work some stuff out."

She stepped in front of the bag, her eyes filling with concern. "What has got you so wound in a coil, Tommy Joe? You're normally scarily easy-going." 

"I don't want to talk about it." But he couldn't stop the heat rushing under his skin. Fuck it, he NEVER blushed. Goddamn body, giving him away like that!

Her eyebrows slowly raised. "Okay, now I HAVE to know."

"I told you I don't want to talk about it."

"Thomas Joseph Ratliff, I will BEAT it out of you." 

He clenched his jaw. Because he knew she would. She was as stubborn as him, if not more. Oh, it might not be today, or tomorrow, but she wouldn't give up. She probably wouldn't actually BEAT it out of him (although he wouldn't place a bet on that), but she'd get to him. She'd poke, she'd prod, she'd do everything in her power to get him to talk. For days. Weeks, if it took that long. "I kissed Adam last night."

She blinked. "Okay, yeah, but you kiss a lot of people."

"No, I _kissed_ Adam."

She shifted her weight. "So, like, a real kiss. Like, tongue? Teeth? Hair grabbing?"

He barely resisted the urge to shove her. "Don't paint me a damn picture! I've got the memory, I don't need to be reminded oof that mental image!"

"I'm surprised you remember, with how wasted you were."

"Raja, that is so not the issue here."

"So what is the issue?"

"The _issue_ is I'm straight."

She let out another one of those long sighs. "Straight, gay, bi, those are such confining words..."

"RAJA. I do not need a lecture right now on how our language affects our perception of sexuality." Heaven knew he'd heard that shpeal from her a few times already. "I kissed Adam last night! I have never wanted to kiss another guy. EVER."

"So you liked the kiss, I take it?"

His ears caught up with his mouth and he froze mid-response. Red swam over his face. And then he started blushing worse because he was blushing. Embarassment was total fuckery, as far as he was concerned. He was embarassed because the memory wasn't exactly a bad one. Then he was embarassed because he was embarassed and he knew what that meant. He knew the fact that his emotions were so twisted up meant that at least some of this was real. And he was embarassed because being embarassed wrote that little truth all over his face! 

"Tommy..."

"Don't 'Tommy' me." He hadn't meant to sound that snappy. But he'd woken up in the same bed as his roommate. No biggie on that. It was the memory that did him in. The hangover was just adding insult to injury. See if he ever drank again. Losing control of himself was not something he enjoyed.

"Look, I know what it's like to feel confused."

That deflated him a bit. He remembered when Raja was first emerging. He remembered how hard it had been for Sutan, how many sleepless nights they'd had, how many times he'd snuck Sutan into his room because he knew the taller Alpha couldn't bear to be alone. But as fond as those memories were, and although they got rid of some of his anger, they didn't help the feeling of lead in his stomach that had nothing to do with alcohol. "I'm not confused." All it took was one look from her and he was backtracking. "Okay, so maybe I'm a _little_ confused. He's my friend, and this has never happened before. Maybe it was just the alcohol that was talking?"

"Tommy Joe, honey, really?" 

He snarled and looked away, glaring at the wall. "How am I supposed to face him when I don't even know what's going on? And, damn it, he kissed me back!" Anger flared red-hot inside him. "He should have known better! I was drunk!"

Raja pulled him into a gentle hug, wisely choosing not to say anything. She didn't say how, partially, Tommy was right, that Adam shouldn't have made out with a hammered Tommy. But she also didn't mention about how Tommy had started the kiss and, as the Alpha, it had really been his kind of responsibility. 

"How am I going to face him, Raja?" Tommy whispered, burying his face into her shoulder. Actually, it was more like her chest. He was kind of boob-level. But she knew him well enough not to get angry. It wasn't his fault he was that tall and he needed something to bury his face into. 

"I'm sure he'll understand that you're kind of weirded out. Just tell him you need some time."

"I don't want to hurt his feelings." Even if he was mad. And confused. And a million other things.

"Then try to be polite." Pause. "Okay, maybe _I_ should tell him."

That made him crack a smile. But it melted only after a moment and he snuggled further into the comfort of her embrace. 


	9. Getting My Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Awkwardness is awkward, but Adam and Tommy do pretty well with it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoooooo getting back into the swing of things.

"And now an oh-so-fun class," the teacher announced, rubbing his hands together. "Marcus, please close the door."

The pup nearest the back of the room stood, going and closing the door. A silence fell over the students as the lock clicked into place. They all turned back to the teacher, who moved to stand in front of his desk. Apparently this was going to be one of THOSE Omega classes, the kind they couldn't tell anyone about. The kind that the Council either didn't know about or pretended that they didn't know about.

"In a wolf pack, not all wolves are created equal," the teacher began. "We're Omegas, we all know that. We eat last, we sleep on the hardest part of the ground, we get  _shitty_ textbooks, pardon my language." He glanced at the textbooks that were falling apart, stacked on a table to the side. He then cleared his throat and looked back at the students. "In wolf society, our vote counts the least. A good Alpha will make sure that every member of the pack has a say in important decisions, but an Omega often gets overlooked when the decision isn't so crucial.  Today, we're going to talk about how to get your way as an Omega."

Adam chewed his bottom lip, hands resting nervously on the table. During classes like these, it was an unspoken rule that no one took notes. If someone were to discover a notebook outlining lessons such as this, the rest of the school would have a hayday. There might even be violence, wolves would be so angry. No one really minded having to simply remember the lessons, though. Omegas had to have crazy good memories anyway, just to survive.

"An Alpha can tell someone what to do," the teacher continued. "In fact, any wolf with a shred of dominance can tell someone what to do. We aren't quite so lucky. In a pack, there is one Omega. Two, on very rare occasions. We have no one to lord over, no one we can tell what to do. Instead, we have to find other ways of making people do something. The key is to make them think it's their idea.

"No wolf wants to listen to an Omega. They find it degrading. True, we can ask for something, but there are going to be times when saying 'please' just idn't going to work. We have to manipulate them into doing what we want them to do, while making them think it's something they want to do. Step number one is to get to know the wolf you want to manipulate. The approach is going to be different for each wolf, based on their personality, but there are some overriding themes when it comes to the rankings.

"Gammas are both easy and difficult. A Gamma wants to listen to an Omega least of all. They're sick of being pushed around by everyone, so they don't want to listen to anything that the only wolf below them has to say. To get a Gamma to listen to you, you really have to butter them up. Grovel. Be a kiss-ass. Act scared of them. Remind them that they could, in fact, kick your ass. They love that shit. You want to make them feel smart for making a decision. Make whatever you want sound like the best idea, and complain that no one else is smart enough to do it. Make them feel important. 

"Deltas are fairly simple. They're in the middle of the pack, so they're pretty mellow. They have enough dominance to feel secure, but are submissive enough that they're not pushy. A Delta is going to be most easily swayed by you asking for something. When that doesn't work, just pop the idea into their head. Explain it, make it seem like a good idea. There's not a very big need to wag your tail for them. 

"Betas are tricky. They're smart. If you go crawling up to them, telling them how great they are like you would a Gamma, they're going to see right through you. But they are incredibly loyal to their Alphas. To get a Beta to do something, convince them that their Alpha either wants it done, or would benefit from it somehow. Most of the time, a Beta is going to do something to help out their Alpha.

"It isn't too often that you're going to have to manipulate an Alpha. Most of the time, Alphas are very business-like. Just explain to them what you want, and they'll weigh the options. However, in the event that you have to get something from an Alpha without directly asking, remember this. They're incredibly protective. They want to take care of their pack. You don't have to feign a heart attack or anything, but if you convince them that whatever you want would help you, and that you're suffering without it, they're likely to take care of you."

For the rest of the class period, the Omegas practiced using these principles with each other and the teacher. It was a little difficult for the students who had to act like the ranking that they weren't but it was good practice. All the time though, all Adam could think about was Tommy. He didn't want to manipulate his friend, but he could see exactly how it would work. Tommy was hella protective of him. He would do a lot of things to make Adam feel safe and happy. At least that also meant that most of the time all Adam would have to do was ask.

Adam was a little worried, though. Tommy had gotten up early and left the room before Adam had been awake. He could only infer that there was something wrong, as the loud little insomniac was never up early. He HATED mornings. Maybe he remembered the kiss. Maybe Adam was in trouble. He should have known better than to kiss Tommy like that. He did feel pretty bad for taking advantage of his friend, especially when he thought about it. Great, now he was thinking about it.

"You're not quite here today," Brad said. They were supposed to be practicing, but Adam just wasn't in the right frame of mind for it.

"Sorry," Adam said. "I'm just concerned. I have a lot on my mind."

"You gonna tell me about it?" Brad asked easily.

"You gonna keep it a secret?" Adam responded, lowering his voice. He was pretty close with Brad, so he felt pretty safe telling him. But this was not something the rest of the wolf world needed to know.

Brad snorted. "Obviously."

Adam lowered his voice further and leaned in. "Tommy got really drunk last night, and we made out. This morning, he was gone before I got up, which he never does. I haven't seen him all day."

Brad pursed his lips. "He's straight, right?"

Adam nodded, feeling a pang in his chest at the admittance.

"He's probably just freaked out," Brad said. "But you two are so close, I don't think it'll mess up your friendship. Just give him some space if he needs it, and let him come to you. You know Alphas, you can't leash 'em. You have to let them make their own decisions."

"But Brad," Adam drawled. "Didn't we just learn how to make decisions for them?"

Brad laughed and shoved him lightly. Adam smiled ruefully back, feeling a bit better. Brad was right. They were so close. This couldn't really end their friendship.

Could it?

* * *

Adam didn't see Tommy for the rest of the day. He managed to track down Raja, but she wouldn't tell him anything. She just tweaked his nose and told him that he should be careful where he put his tongue. It made Adam's nerves spike. Obviously, then Tommy had talked to Raja about it. She wouldn't know otherwise. But she didn't seem mad, so Tommy couldn't have been too furious... right?

Adam's mind got the better of him, though. He was a worrier. He always mulled over everything in his head, and the more he thought about it, the more he reasoned that he was a giant dick. He took total advantage of his best friend. He knew better! And SHIT, now Tommy probably knew that Adam liked him. Why else would he kiss him like that?

Adam was pulled out of his downward spiral when Tommy walked into their dorm room. His breath hitched, and he tried to control his voice. "Hey."

"Hey." Tommy flopped down on his bed. "Hangovers are shit. I have felt awful all day, and my teachers had absolutely no sympathy. I had a test today! Guess I failed that fucker."

Adam winced and tried to be supportive. "Well, you're doing well in your classes right now. One bad grade shouldn't do too much damage."

"I hope not." There was a long silence, before Tommy spoke again. "Are we okay?"

"I don't know," Adam said softly. "Are we?"

"I want to be okay," Tommy whispered back. "Can we just... not talk about it for a while? Like maybe eventually, but not right now."

Adam let out a breath. "Yeah, okay."

There was another pause, and then Tommy looked over at him. "Can you help me with my math homework?"

A small smile graced Adam's lips. "Sure."

 


	10. Omega Mark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was an interesting chapter to write. So far this story has been mostly fluff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My own pretty kitty is helping me with this. Cats are so damn needy. I love him ^v^.

"I can't wait to see it!" 

"You are really worked up about this, aren't you?" 

"Why wouldn't I be? I've never seen it before!"

"It's not that big a deal."

"But it's going to be beautiful! You're so strong and muscular... you'd be way bigger than I am."

"I'm not THAT big..."

"Well those big feet..."

"OH MY GOSH," Adam said, holding a hand up. "Stop. We need to stop."

"Why?" Tommy asked, blinking those big brown eyes. He was just finishing packing the last of his supplies into his bag. 

"Do you not hear us?" Adam stressed. "We sound like we're talking about..." A flush took over his cheeks and he shook his head. 

"Talking about what?" Tommy's eyes widened. "Oh, you mean-"

"TOMMY."

Tommy giggled and shoved him lightly. "Finish getting ready, babyboy."

Adam nodded and threw another pair of socks in the bag. One thing that always seemed to go missing: socks. No one would ever think a werewolf would need socks. But who likes to wear shoes without socks? The entire school was going on one huge camping trip. It was difficult for the students to be inside all the time, but it was also difficult for the teachers to be inside all the time. No wolf liked to be cooped up for too long. 

The students were also going to learn basic survival techniques for living in the woods, in case a wolf ever got separated from their pack. They were able to being clothes, a tent, and a blanket. All food they had to scavenge for or catch, and all fire was made with simple sticks. So it wasn't exactly like it would be if they were really having to live in the woods, but it took care of the main issues. What Tommy was so excited about was the running and playing that would happen that night, under the full moon. He wanted to see Adam's wolf form, which he had never seen before. Adam didn't really get why it was so important that he see it. But Tommy was excited, and it was actually pretty cute. 

They piled into the buses. There was one bus for the Alphas and Betas, one bus for the Deltas, three susses for the Gammas, and one bus for the Omegas. Adam headed to the Omega bus, walking past the Alpha line, when a small hand reached out and grabbed his arm. He looked and saw a grinning Tommy on the other end. "Come with me."

"But I'm supposed to be on the Omega bus," Adam said dumbly.

"Well we're breaking rules." Tommy pulled Adam up on to the bus. Adam caught the gazes of the teachers, but they did nothing. What he was really worried about, though, were the gazes of the Alphas and Betas on the bus. Most of them were merely surprised, but the few of them were murderous. He felt his heartbeat start to speed up, his wolf shrinking back in fear.

He was jerked into a seat, and a thin but strong arm was thrown over his shoulder. Sutan sat next to him, smiling. "Sit here."

Adam's hair started to lay down, and he relaxed a bit. "But where will Tommy sit?"

"Here I am!" Tommy popped up in the seat in front of them. He folded his arms over it and rested his chin on his arms. "Aren't you guys excited? We get to run around! In the woods!"

"Scream it a little louder, TJ, I don't think they heard you," Adam teased, trying to use the mocking to calm his nerves. Even with Sutan and Tommy there like a wall, he could feel the gazes of the other wolves. For the time being, he decided to ignore it. There was very little they could do to him at the moment, and as long as the teachers were there, fights would be stopped quickly, if any broke out at all.

The Alpha/Beta bus wasn't all that different than the Omega bus. Within each of the ranking, the students were all pretty close. They laughed and played among each other. They were friends. Equals. But Adam didn't belong here.

* * *

 

"Fresh air! Fuuuuuuck!" Tommy threw his arms out, taking a deep breath of the mountain breeze. Sure, he loved his city things. He loved fast food, and his iPod, and his skinny jeans. But his wolf craved the open woods, and something it just felt good to get out and let the wolf be. Especially after that long bus ride. Everyone had been so excited, and they were all trapped in a small space. It was like five-year-old on a bus, but with more caffeine and bad sexual jokes. 

Sutan walked up beside him. "Feels good, doesn't it?"

"I can't wait to run. I really need to stretch my legs." Tommy looked over the thick trees and brush. "That track at the gym is fine, but sometimes you just want open land, ya know?"

"I get it. My legs are longer than your's, remember? That gym seems a lot smaller to me."

Tommy grinned and elbowed Sutan before the teachers called them over to assign partners for the tents. Of course, Sutan and Tommy were assigned together, because they knew that Sutan was one of the only Alphas Tommy wouldn't get in a fight with. Probably. They were given their supplies and sent off to find a flat area nearby. Eventually, they found one and Tommy started clearing the large rocks from the ground before they put the tent down. When he was finished, they started putting up the tent.

"How do you do these things?" Tommy asked, pulling out one of the folded long poles. It shifted and snapped into it's full length abruptly, making Tommy jump. 

"How do you DO them?" Sutan grinned. "Well, Tommy, it's a long, phallic object, I think it would do you."

"How do you USE them," Tommy corrected, flicking Sutan off lazily.

"Here, they go through the little loops, and into the pockets in the corner." Sutan knelt down and helped Tommy slide the poles in, slowly bending them to make the tent stand up. He glanced around to see if anyone else was close, before speaking to Tommy in a soft voice. "So have you talked to Adam yet?"

Tommy began to chew his bottom lip. "No, I haven't. I mean, not really. We agreed to kind of let it go for now..."

Sutan snorted a bit. "You can't let it go forever, Tommy. Isn't it awkward?"

"Not really," Tommy disagreed. "Adam isn't awkward at all. I think it's an Omega thing. Being around him makes me comfortable."

Sutan smiled and leaned in, kissing Tommy's forehead. "You're adorable, you know that?"

They pulled their blankets out and laid them down before everyone was called into the center. The headmistress was standing there, in more plain clothes than any of the students had ever seen her in. She looked like a regular person, except for the fierce glint in her eyes. "Alright, everyone. It's time for you to find your own food. You have permission to transform and hunt the animals around here, in temporary packs or by yourselves. The boundaries are clearly scent marked. You must not go beyond them, but any wild creature within them is fair game. There are also berries and other plants around here that are edible. You have the rest of the night to do as you wish, so when you eat is up to you. If you just want to run around, you may do that as well. But we will be doing group activities tomorrow, so I encourage you to eat. All the staff will be around, so use the locating howl if you need anything." She smirked. "Now go, and try to be the wolves you will someday become."

"Let's go let's go let's go, I wanna run!" Tommy murmured under his breath, looking around for Adam. He found him easily enough, the tall one among the Omegas. He ran up to him and looked up with a grin. "Let's run!"

"Okay, okay," Adam said. "But... not here. Let's shift in some bushes or something, okay?" Wolves or not, he didn't want his bare-ass junk out in front of everyone. 

Tommy laughed and they found a secluded area. He pulled his shirt off and started to shuck out of his pants when a weird feeling took him over. He was getting naked. In front of Adam. The boy he'd made out with not too long ago. He coughed and turned away, hiding both his nudity and the flush that was spreading across his face. When he was naked, he called to the wolf inside him, let it leap and rush to the surface. The change wasn't really painful. It wasn't the most comfortable thing, but every wolf got used to that when they were young. Soon his claws were digging into the rotting leaves under foot, and he turned around to face his roommate. 

Fuck, Adam was breathtaking. He was tall, with long legs and lots of muscle. A sleek black coat covered him, the tips of his silky fur glinting like starlight against the darkness. There was a splash of white on his chest and the tip of his nose. He looked so formidable, like he could take Tommy down with all that size and muscle. But when Tommy stepped forward, he averted his gaze and lowered his tail, unsure.

Tommy parted his lips in a toothy grin and pounced in front of him, pushing forward to rub against Adam's cheek. It was hard to talk in wolf form, they had no words. But they could communicate some ways. Tommy flicked his tail against Adam's nose and trotted off, glancing back at him and expecting him to follow. He led Adam to a clearly before stopping and hopping around, falling into a play bow.

Adam blinked, unsure at first. He hadn't ever romped with an Alpha before... but this was Tommy. Adam bowed down, tongue lolling out. Tommy pounced and they began to intricate dance of play that had been invented by the first wolves there were and had grown ever since. Tommy jumped on Adam's back, gnawing at his ears, letting out little happy growls. Adam's wolf, completely comfortable with Tommy, didn't feel the need to submit to the wolf above him. Instead, he rolled and kicked up at Tommy, sending him flying. 

Tommy landed on his paws a few feet away, stumbling a bit. But he had to get stable quickly, as Adam was coming after him. For a while, Tommy went along with it, letting the larger wolf chase him. They ran for a long time, twisting and turning through the brush, ducking under limbs and jumping over logs. As they ran, Adam watched that blonde tail in front of him, thinking about how it would feel to follow Tommy, like in a hunt.

Like Tommy was his Alpha for real.

Adam shook his head and picked up the pace to chase down Tommy. This wasn't the time to think about such things. They were just pups, adolescents, and they weren't allowed to play pack yet. Sure, the Headmistress made a few exceptions for Adam and Tommy, but they weren't really pack. Adam caught up to him and nipped at his ankles, yipping at him. Tommy turned back and they rolled, nipping at each other, just enjoying being wolves.

When they got tired out, they laid down and snuggled, closing their eyes. The wind rolled over them in the grass, tousling their fur, but the little bit of cold didn't penetrate the thick fuzz. Finally Tommy was woken when his stomach growled. He had to hunt. He stood and stretched, opening his mouth in a wide yawn. He glanced at Adam, nosing at him to see if he wanted to come. But the black wolf shook his head and closed his eyes to rest some more, so Tommy just left him alone and went off to find a rabbit or something.

* * *

 

It was just after sunset when Adam woke. He stood up and stretched his legs out, wincing a bit as his stiff joints popped. His stomach churned hungrily, and he wished he'd gone with Tommy to hunt. But it was too late for regrets. All he could do now was head back to the campground and hope to find something along the way. His large black paws picked through the underbrush as he moved along, using his nose to find his way back. 

He smelled them before he saw them. Two wolves. Two Alphas. One female, and one male. His ears pricked, but he kept walking. He could smell the fresh meat, and knew they had come across a kill recently. It was better not to get too close to an Alpha with fresh food. So he tried to keep his presence unknown and his footsteps quiet. But as he walked, the wind shifted, blowing his scent in their direction.

And then they were on him.

The two wolves circled him, snarling, blood on their lips. He flatted himself to the ground, tucking his tail and pawing at them. His lips were pulled back in a submissive grin, trying to show that he wasn't at all a threat, that he was just a harmless Omega, that they should ignore him. He whined and licked at the muzzle of the large male. The wolf jumped on him, and Adam squealed, twisting, trying to protect his vital spots. But most of all, trying to protect his neck. Eventually, an Alpha would claim him for his pack. They would have to bite him on the scruff of his neck, scarring him. The alpha's teeth grazed by that oh-so-important spot and he snapped his teeth.

The female Alpha took her human form. She was a small thing when compared to Adam, but she was wiry and strong. And fast. She jerked in, stepping on Adam's throat so that he either had to hold still or suffocate. "Stop moving." Her voice was such a dead command that Adam's wolf instantly obeyed.

The male wolf pulled off and shifted into his own human form, looking down at Adam with muddy brown eyes. "Shift, Omega!" he barked. Instantly, Adam shuddered into his human form, coughing from basically being forced to shift.

The male's lips pulled back in a smile that wasn't really a smile at all. "Oh look, it's Tommy's little bitch. What are you doing out here all by yourself?" Adam tried to swallow and shook his head.

"Not so tough without your master here, are you, dog?" the female spat. "You think you can just waltz right into Alpha territory? You are the most insolent little Omega, you know that? You wag your tail for Tommy. Moon knows why the teachers let you stay together. It's clearly against the rules. But you want to stay with him, don't you?" She tucked some of her curly hair behind her ear. It was blowing in her face, mussed up from the shift. "You're in love with him."

"I'm not," Adam croaked, her foot still pressed into his throat. It made his Omega mark burn, that rough contact.

"Little liar!" she snapped, pressing her foot down harder.

"He obviously doesn't respect us," the male said. "Or he wouldn't lie. So let's teach him some respect..." He looked Adam over. "How are we going to hold him down, though? He's fairly sizable."

Adam's eyes shot open wide and he jerked, trying to get up. But suddenly the female was holding him down with her hand on his neck, her Alpha mark against his Omega mark. He could barely breathe. He would barely think. He certainly couldn't move.

"Oh yes," she said softly. "You see, my father was an Omega. I know what happens when an Alpha mark touches an Omega mark. You Omegas try to keep that a secret, but some of us still know." She tilted her head to the side, looking down at him with hateful eyes. "Roll over." It wasn't that her voice was commanding. It was that damn Alpha mark. Adam couldn't resist. There was nothing he could do.

"Please don't do this," he choked out after rolling onto his stomach.

"Someone has to teach you where you belong," the male said, kicking Adam's legs apart. "Underneath us."

"Please!" Adam begged, tears running down his face at the utter helplessness of the moment.

"Shut up!" the female snapped. "You are not allowed to speak. Just cry and whimper like a little bitch."

The first inch was the worst. It wasn't that it hurt the worst. No, it was when the male was pounding balls deep inside him that he felt the most pain. But that first inch fucked with his mind. The thing his mother had told him to protect so dearly, his best kept secret, taken away. He tried not to think about Tommy, but the thoughts came anyway. No one would have been able to do something like this to Tommy, he would have been strong enough to stop them. And even if he couldn't, he wouldn't have cried. Adam cried though, tears of helplessness and terror. With the female's Alpha mark on his Omega mark, there was nothing he could do to fight them. But even if there was, he wouldn't have. They'd won. He'd just lay there and take it. Weak. Cowardly.

The male pulled off him before the female let go. She leaned in and whispered in his ear. "Thank us. We could have given you a claiming bite. Thank us for being so generous."

With her still holding him, he had no choice. "Th-thank y-you..." he sobbed out. "For-r being s-so g-gener-rous..."

She finally let go of him, and he had control again. But at the same time, he felt like he'd never really have control again. The Alphas walked away from him, leaving him there. Bleeding and alone. Shakily, he tried to shift into his wolf form. His stomach and hips were all cut up from the rocks on the ground. The fur would give him some protection. But his body, in shock, didn't seem to want to listen. And his wolf, so abused, had curled deep inside him to hide.

"Not you too, please don't leave me..." Adam pleaded as the rain started. But his wolf had done just that. He crawled under a nearby evergreen to try and get out of the rain. He knew his legs wouldn't work. As he laid down in the dirt, he remembered talking to Tommy once about being taken by force. It was something all Omegas had to understand was a possibility. He and Tommy talked about what it would be like to walk away from rape. Now Adam understood, you didn't walk away from rape.

You crawled.


	11. Rage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy finds out what happened to Adam, and he can't handle it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can I just say that I love glamberts? I was explaining this to one of my friends, but the glamberts... well, we're the glamily. You find out someone else is a glambert, and it's like insta-connection. But that's not even the best part. This fan base is so supportive and caring, and they really take care of each other. Every comment I get, although they can be constructive criticism, is so supportive and nice and wonderful. You guys make me feel so loved. Thank you so much!

Tommy jerked his stinging hands back. He and Sutan were sitting in their tent playing that game where you put your palms together, one person's hands on top and the other person's on the bottom, where the person on the top had to jerk their hands away before the person on the bottom slapped them. Tommy was really good at that game, but DAMN, Sutan was better. Actually, Tommy had guess for sometime now that Raja was peeking out, but Sutan hadn't packed a dress and heels, so it was a little difficult to tell. "You're way too good at this," the closet brunette complained.

"Years of practice with my cousins, sweetie." Yup, Raja was definitely coming out. 

"Well do me a favor and put your claws back in, okay?" Tommy joked, grinning at his best friend. His stomach was full of rabbit and salmon that he'd caught, all happy and stuffed. A fed Tommy was a happy Tommy, although he didn't eat that much, admittedly. 

"Adam Lambert..." Tommy's head jerked up. Had he just heard Adam's name? He looked for the source of the voice and saw the Omega Brad talking to the Headmistress. Tommy's brow furrowed together and he stood, telling Sutan/Raja that he'd be back soon. He moved out into the soaking rain and walked over to the conversation, butting in.

"What about Adam Lambert?"

"He hasn't returned from his run," Brad said. "I-I'm sharing a tent with him."

"I was with him earlier," Tommy said. "You mean he hasn't come back?" He brushed his hair out of his face. It was quickly getting wet in the rain, and liked to plaster to his forehead and cheeks. 

"I haven't seen him," Brad said.

"When were you with him?" the Headmistress asked Tommy, turning to him.

"After you let us out of camp, we went out for a while," Tommy explained. "We played and just hung out, but then I got hungry and went to hunt. He... He didn't want to come." Tommy felt a chill start to go down his spine. "That was a long time ago. I've gotten food and been back for a while. I'm talking hours." He shifted his weight, tucking his hair behind his ear again. Damn hair just seemed to want to fall in his face at the most inopportune moments. "He'd have known to howl if something was wrong, right?"

"Let's go out looking for him anyway," the Headmistress said. "It's very late and it's raining. None of our students should be out there alone, least of all an Omega. Brad, you get some of the students together to help you look. Ask Sutan or one of the other Alphas to help you organize a party. Tommy, you come with me. We're going to where you and Adam were and seeing if we can still find his scent in this rain." 

Tommy nodded and hurried off with her, before they stripped to shift. It was always a little weird to see the teachers get naked and shift. They were always so controlled, they almost never shifted in front of the students. But now was not the time to contemplate his slightly unique relationship with the Headmistress. Adam was missing.

It was interesting to see the Headmistress' wolf form. She was a simple grey wolf, a light silvery color, but she was strong and graceful. She nodded to him and he took off in the direction that he and Adam had gone. He found it was a difficult path to follow. Everything look so different in the dark and the rain had washed away the vast majority of their scents from earlier. Every once in a while, he would get a random whiff, but that was about it. It took them well over an hour to find the clearing he and Tommy had played in. Tommy's heart dropped when Adam wasn't there. His pulled back his lips and snapped at the air, digging his claws into the ground to get out some of his frustration. 

The Headmistress moved to him and nosed him, both offering comfort and telling him to calm down. He took a deep breath and nodded before putting his nose to the ground and sniffing around. It was infuriating how he couldn't pick up even a little bit of the scent. Damn rain. The search seemed to go on forever, each minute stretching by like an eternity. An eternity of not knowing where his Omega was.

Suddenly, a howl cut through the night, distant, but not too far away. It was actually a series of howls, two short ones, one long one, and three more short ones. Tommy took off in the direction of the howls, only to be caught off by the Headmistress. Her eyes were hard and she jerked her nose in the direction of the camp. Tommy couldn't believe this. She'd really make him go back to camp when someone had found something? He bared his teeth at her, a snarl ripping up his throat. It was cut off when her jaws closed around his neck, pushing him down into the mud. She held him there until his tail slumped and tucked in agreement. She gave him one last painful bite on his ear and moved off him, waiting. He put his head down and hurried back to the camp. 

He paced and paced at the camp, not caring that the rain was cold and soaking. Adam was out there somewhere and whatever had happened, Tommy wasn't ALLOWED to get near it. A ridge of blonde hair ran down the back of his neck and the upper part of his back, right over his spine. A sign that the shift wasn't too far off, as he wasn't going back to fully human. He hated being a pup. He was old enough now that his wolf should have been seen as an adolescent. The sound of wet footsteps called his attention, and he saw a group of students getting back in. One of them was Sutan.

Mud splashed as Tommy stalked over. "Where is he? What's going on?" he demanded.

Sutan bared his teeth. "Don't get in my face, Tommy!"

"Don't get in your face? Sutan, what the fu-" Tommy's words were cut off with a loud crack as the open palm of Sutan's hand connected with Tommy's cheek. His head jerked to the side, his ears ringing, eyes wide.

"Calm the FUCK down!" Sutan snapped. "Your little tantrum is not helping the situation! Maybe if you stop being such an ass, I'll actually tell you something!"

Tommy rubbed his jaw and turned back to Sutan, eyes narrowing. But his voice was calmer when he spoke. "Okay, got it. Sorry." He didn't really sound sorry, but this was the best he could manage at the moment. 

"We found Adam," Sutan said, looking at Tommy with the same narrowed eyes. "But something's wrong. He wouldn't let us close to him, and the teacher made all of us leave except for that Omega, Brad. And Adam was curled up under a tree in his human form."

"His human form?" Tommy wondered aloud. "In this rain? He's got to be freezing!" He had to be, because Tommy himself was shivering and he'd been running around. Just sitting there would be so chilly.

"The teacher did this really weird howl," Sutan began.

"I heard it," Tommy confirmed. "I was with the Headmistress. She followed it, but she made me come back here."

Sutan nodded. "I think it's a code or something. Like Morose Code. So they know what's going on, but we don't."

"I'm getting really sick of not being told things," Tommy whispered. Adam had said that Omegas kept secrets from the pack, but Tommy had learned that it extended beyond Omegas. He felt like a rat in a maze, being watched by everyone but never told anything. 

They both turned when they saw an ambulance drive by, sirens on. Tension took over Tommy's form. "Why would they need an ambulance?"

"I don't know," Sutan said softly. "He didn't look like he was missing an arm or anything. Hypothermia, maybe?"

"Fuck, Sutan." Tommy's shoulders slumped and he stepped forward into the taller wolf. "Fuck." His soft tone and pleading form earned him a hug, Sutan's body heat a shock of warmth in the rain. He nuzzled in and closed his eyes, trying to breathe. 

A while later, the ambulance went back by, sirens still on, heading towards town. Tommy knew Adam must have been on it. His wolf ached to be near his friend. This whole waiting and not knowing thing had gotten old really fast. Inside him, his wolf was howling and whining and snarling, needing to be by his Omega, especially when he was hurt. That was when he spotted the Headmistress walking in. He went to run to her, but it seemed she was waiting for him. She grabbed his arm and pulled him off to the side. He'd never seen that look on her face before, very serious and dark and closed off. It made his pulse quicken.

"What?" he asked breathily. "What is it? What's happened to Adam? Sutan said... he said that Adam didn't look severally wounded..."

"I'm not supposed to tell you this," she said. "It's completely against the rules. But I've already broken the rules with you two, and it's gone too far. There's no going back now. Your wolves have bonded. You're pack."

Tommy brushed aside that last comment. He could talk to her about that later. Right now he wanted to know about Adam. It was hard to speak past the lump in his throat. "Is he okay?"

She took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes. "Your Omega has been raped, Thomas."

Tommy saw red.

The change ripped through him, his wolf exploding inside him. A ragged scream spilled from his lips. There might have been words in that scream, but Tommy's jaw was losing the shape that gave it the ability to speak. His ears lengthened, pulling up on top of his head. He could feel every hair sprout from his skin like a needle, covering him in thick, blonde fur that poured over a swelling body. He'd never felt the change like this, so agonizing, but he was quickly losing awareness of any pain. He shifted into a werewolf's most deadly form, a huge mix of wolf and man, standing like a man but with a wolf's head and claws. In this form, he was nearly seven feet tall.

The Headmistress jerked back from the claws that swiped out at her. "Shit!" She should have known better. She should have seen this coming. Tommy was in too far, too deep, but he wasn't old enough to deal with it yet. "Get the tranquilizers!" she yelled, before throwing her head back and letting the same change move through her.

Tommy leapt at  the surrounding students, huge jaws gnashing, froth dripping from his lips. Everyone was screaming, running around, and all Tommy saw was prey, enemies, being between him and his Omega. The teachers scrambled to get the darts from the supply kit. Tommy had just pinned down a female student when the Headmistress barreled into him. They went rolling, and Tommy tore away, pulling his lips up in a snarl and turning to face this new foe. She crouched before him and roared. She didn't want to hurt him, but her plan was working. His attention was now on her and not on the helpless students, who couldn't have taken a similar form by choice. 

Tommy was quicker than she was anticipating, so when he pounced on her and swiped his claws across her face, she didn't move out of the way fast enough. Blood splattered and the sweet coppery scent of it filled the air, spurring Tommy on. But the Headmistress was stronger than she looked, and she wasn't going to underestimate Tommy again. When he swiped out a second time, she caught his wrist and twisted, pulling his arm behind his back tightly. He yowled in sharp pain, jerking to try and right himself. But she was too fast and caught the back of his neck with her free hand, pushing his face down while simultaneously kicking his feet out from under him. He went slamming face first into the ground. He started to push up, but then felt a stinging sensation in his arm as a dart sunk in. The burning spread, and his vision swam. As darkness clouded his vision, he heard her voice, gravelly from the change, but soft. "I'm sorry, Tommy..."

* * *

Tommy woke up and wanted to kill something. Or someone. Oooohhh, yes, definitely someone. Maybe multiple someones. Like the person who locked him in that cage. Tommy looked around, eyeing the iron bars that surrounded him. It was a huge cage, the size of a room, situated in an even bigger room. He looked past the bars and saw that the floor of the room was tile. Something easy to clean if blood were to get on it. 

That's when his eyes fell on the goat chained in the corner, like an offering. He licked his lips and crawled forward, moving with a grace that a human shouldn't have had while crawling. He was in human form then, kind of, but the crawling revealed there were some muscles under his skin that a human wouldn't have had. There was still a ridge of blonds hair running down his back, and his nails were grown into sharp claws. He could feel the long canines in his mouth, the sharp teeth against his tongue. The goat panicked and pulled on the chain, but it was secure and the small animal wasn't going anywhere.

He felt a little bad when he killed the goat, because it couldn't get away and he's only ever hunted prey that had a fighting chance, but mostly he felt good. He used his claws to tear apart the chest and pull out the heart, biting into it with his teeth and eating it in a few large gulps. He licked the blood off his claws, and that and the feeding calmed him a little bit, because for a moment he had control. He got to take out his rage on something.

Rage?

"Why am I so angry?" he asked aloud. His mind seemed so fuzzy. He couldn't really think about anything. 

"So you're awake." The female voice came from behind him, from where the door to the room was. Tommy turned around, bloody lips drawn back in a gruesome snarl. It was the Headmistress walking in. She looked tired, there were dark curled under her eyes. She also had a healing scratch along her face. Why? No one ever touched the Headmistress.

"Why am I here?" Tommy snapped out. "What's going on?"

"You're a little confused right now, Thomas," she said softly. "But it's alright. You just need to relax. We'll bring you all that you need, and more goats and lambs for you to kill to keep you calm."

"I don't want goats, I want out!" Tommy wrapped his hands around the bars, ignoring how his claws dug into his palms, and yanked hard. They didn't even rattle. They didn't even budge. The cage was built to keep in werewolves, probably ones much larger than the small Tommy.

"I can't do that right now," she replied. "You're too dangerous, to yourself and others." She touched the marks on her face.

"Who gave you that?" Tommy growled, starting to pace back and forth in front of the bars.

"Don't worry about it, just worry about staying calm. The only way you're getting out of that cage is if you come to control yourself."

"Why am I like this?" Tommy rushed the bars again, squeezing a shoulder through between them. For a moment, he thought he might be able to get through, but the bars were too close together, so he just ripped a claw through the air in frustration. "I don't understand! What did you do to me?"

"The drug makes you forget, Thomas," she answered, not even flinching at the fact that he got his shoulder through the gap. "But not your wolf. It remembers the pain and hurt. You're too young to deal with this kind of stress on your wolf. You lost it."

"Let me out of here!" Tommy snapped. "I have to..." His words dropped off. He couldn't remember. What did he have to do? Where did he have to do? He felt that he NEEDED to do something. But for the life of him, he couldn't remember...

"You'll be kept drugged until your wolf calms down," the Headmistress said. "Once it does, we'll stop giving you the drug, and you'll remember. But as long as your wolf is in this stage, you won't be able to handle it."

"Just tell me!" Tommy snapped. "I have to get out of here!" He pulled the bars hard, but again they wouldn't budge. He felt helpless, and helpless was something he couldn't afford to be right now. He had to... someone... The change pulsed through him again and a roar ripped up his throat. A moment later, there was nothing but a vicious animal clawing at the bars.

The Headmistress sighed and pulled a dart gun out of her back, loading the dart up and pointing it at Tommy. "I'm sorry, Tommy..." she repeated for the second time far to short a time.

 


	12. Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam goes to the hospital and has to go through a rape kit.

"He won't let me near him." The doctor took off her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose. She had worked with rape patients before, but never an Omega. She was willing to bet this went deeper than just the rape. "I'm not even an Alpha, I'm not that scary..."

"What do we do?" the nurse who'd been helping her asked. "We need to examine him. There's evidence on his body. But beyond that... we need to make sure he's okay. We don't know how badly he's hurt. We could possibly get an Alpha to touch his Omega mark, but..."

"No," the doctor said instantly. "We can't force him into anything right now. It would just make it worse." Her eyes lit up suddenly with an idea. "What about that Omega pup he came in with?" Not long after, Brad was being shown into Adam's room. He was already pretty much up to date on what had happened, considering he'd ridden in the ambulance with them, so the only thing they had to tell him was that they needed him to get Adam to cooperate. 

When they opened the door, the saddest sight Brad had ever seen greeted his eyes. Adam wasn't even in the hospital bed. Je was in the fetal position under a table off to the side of the room. Huge bright blue eyes stared yo at them, wide with fear. Brad's heart dropped. He and Adam had been friends since they had started school, only ten years old. And now to see him like this, so broken...

Brad slowly moved over, keeping his eyes down so as not to threaten Adam. The taller Omega plastered himself against the wall, as far away from Brad as he could get. Brad sat down on the floor a few feet away from him, crossing his legs, facing away from Adam. Among Omegas, it was a peaceful posture. Direct attention was challenging and distressing. 

"Adam," Brad said softly. "It's me, Brad. Don't you recognize me?" 

Silence met his ears. Adam had ducked his head, hiding, leaning away from the intruders. Brad let out a small whine. "Come on Adam... please." Brad wanted to turn and look at him, but he knew he couldn't. Not yet.

"Go away." It was a small response, no more than a whisper, a ghost of a whisper. But it was there.

"I can't Adam." Brad kept saying his name. It would help ground him. There was a chance that he would try to dissociate to escape the pain. Brad couldn't let him do that. He had to keep him there. "You're hurt. You need to let us help you."

"I-I don't want anyone touching me!" Adam's voice raised in panic.

"I know, Adam." There was that name again. "I know it's hard. But they're doctors, they're not going to do anything to you. If you want me to get an Alpha in here-"

"NO!" Adam screeched, cutting him off. "No Alphas! Good Moon, fuck, no Alphas!" He'd started to hyperventilate, his voice raising and his breath coming in harsh gasps. His head was up and his eyes were bright, searching for an escape.

"Okay, okay, no Alphas!" Brad said quickly. "This doctor, she's a Delta. She's not an Alpha. Go ahead and take a whiff of her scent, you'll see."

"I don't care," Adam mumbled, hiding his face again. "I don't want anyone touching me..."

"You in pain, aren't you, Adam?" Brad murmured. "Let them help, they can make you feel better. I'll stay with you, you won't be alone."

"I am alone!" Adam snapped. "He's gone, he left me all alone!" 

Brad's brow furrowed in confusing and he had to work hard not to turn and face Adam. "Who left you alone, Adam?"

"My wolf..."

Brad's head snapped around to face Adam. He couldn't help it, the shock was too much. "You can't shift?" At that, Adam shook his head, and Brad's throat tightened. That explained some things. Adam couldn't protect himself at all. He was in his naked, weak human form. "Shit, Adam... he'll come back. You'll be able to change again, I'm sure of it."

"How do you know?" Adam sounded so miserable. His voice was muffled against his knees.

"Because I know these things!" Because he couldn't tell Adam there was a chance that he might never get his wolf back. Because he had to be the strong one here. He had to be strong for Adam, something the taller Omega could rely on. "Let me help you to the bed. Let them examine you. I'll stay with you, okay? We'll do it together."

Adam slowly lifted his head again, looking up at Brad with puffy red eyes. Brad could only imagine how hard it had to be, to let someone see his body after he got raped. He turned towards Adam and held out his hand. Adam looked at it warily, and for a moment Brad was afraid Adam would refuse him, and he would lose any progress he made. But Adam slowly reached out with his hand and took Brad's. The smaller Omega stood, pulling Adam up And out from under the table. "We're going to do this together, okay?"

"Okay," Adam whispered.

First, the doctor did a basic exam. She had to make sure that Adam wasn't in any serious danger. She took his temperature and checked his blood pressure and reflexes before looking over his body. Luckily, beyond the obvious damage to his rear, there wasn't too much physical damage. He was bruised, with scratches and scraped over his hips and stomach. But it would have been worse. He didn't have any serious lacerations or any broken bones. 

Next, they had to take pictures of Adam's condition. They needed all the evidence for any possible charges that would be filed. At first, Adam balked at the camera. He barely wanted those two to see him like this; pictures would immortalize the pain and humiliation.

"They need them for evidence, Adam," Brad said, taking his hand and squeezing it. "But no one is going to see the pictures besides those who have to." Adam nodded, turning away a bit. 

"Adam," the doctor said softly. "The Headmistress needs to come in here and hear your account of what happened, okay? You can talk to her while I take the pictures. Would that be alright?" 

Adam squeezed Brad's hand. The Headmistress was an Alpha, he didn't want to see her right now. But he knew that they had to get his story, and the Headmistress needed to be the one to take the statement. He took at Brad before he took a deep breath. He could do this. "Okay, she can come in." 

The doctor called the Headmistress in. She walked in and kept her eyes off Adam, not wanting to frighten him further. "Can you tell me what happened?" 

Adam licked his lips as the first flash of the camera snapped. "Tommy and I had been playing. We got tired, and decided to take a nap. But he woke up first and was hungry, so he wanted to go hunt. He tried to see if I wanted to come, but it was too sleepy, so I said no." He found that the talking helped a bit, it took his mind off the flashing camera. The doctor motioned for him to turn around and he slowly turned, giving her his back. 

"I woke up a little bit later, and decided to go back to camp." His hands were shaking a bit now, and Brad squeezed the one that he was holding. "As I walked, i smelled two Alpha students. They'd made a kill and were feeding.. I knew better than to get close, so I tried to avoid them. But the wind changed, and they caught my scent." His voice broke, and he glanced at the Headmistress nervously. 

"Go on, Adam," she encouraged. "It's alright. They can't get to you anymore." 

Adam nodded and looked back at the tile floor. He tried to memorize the random changes in color, just to calm himself and give his mind something else to do but relive it. "M-most of the Alphas don't like me. I'm pretty sure it's because I hang out with Tommy so much. They pinned me and had me shift into my human form. I hope that if I just did what they said, they wouldn't hurt me. It was a boy and a girl. When the boy stepped in behind me, I got scared and tried to get away. But the girl..." Adam broke off, squeezing Brad's hand tightly for support. 

"What did she do?" The Headmistress prompted gently.

"She used her Alpha mark and grabbed me by my Omega mark..." Tears began to stream down Adam's cheeks. "I tried to struggle but I couldn't move! I couldn't even breathe! My body wouldn't listen and she held me there while he r-raped me!" Adam brought his hands up to cover his face as he cried. "I'm sorry, I tried to get away!" 

"Shhhh," Brad soothed softly. "She used your Omega mark against you, there was nothing you could do. You did everything you could just by getting through it." 

The doctor pulled out the blacklight and began to run it over Adam's skin, scanning for bodily fluids. "They left me when he was done..." Adam continued, calming down just enough to stop crying. "I wanted to howl for help, but my wolf curled up inside me..." He closed his eyes tightly. "I can barely feel him anymore. I couldn't shift, so I just crawled under a tree. it was raining... Eventually you guys found me." 

"You did well, Adam, you did just fine," the Headmistress promised. 

"I need you to get on the bed, alright?" the doctor said. Adam nodded and got on the hospital bed, letting the doctor put his feet in the stirrups. "Now hold still for me, okay? This might be a little uncomfortable." He stared at the ceiling as she examined his anus, taking samples of what she could.

"Did you know the students?" the Headmistress asked.

Adam shook his head. "I've seen them around at school, but I don't know their names."

"But you could pick them out from a lineup?"

"Yeah," Adam whispered. Suddenly he flinched, the doctor had prodded into one of the wounds. "Ow!"

"Sorry," the doctor said softly. "You're torn. I'm going to have to give you a stitch or two." She stood and moved over to the supply cabinet, pulling out the supplies. "I'll give you a shot that will numb you a little, so it doesn't hurt when I stitch you up." 

Adam nodded and pulled the pillow in front of him to cover his face. The shot burned, and he whimpered, but the burning gave way into a sweet numb feeling. He didn't even feel the two stitches he got. If only there was a shot that could take away all of his pain, soothe his wolf a little bit and help it come out of the dark cave it had crawled into. But there wasn't, and he was left raw and aching and alone. 

The doctor collected evidence off his body, before finally, FINALLY he was allowed to take a shower and get the scent of those two off of him.. The shower burned his wounds, but it almost felt good. The pain was grounding. They got him into a hospital bed, and exhaustion hit him like a freight train. He knew he'd have nightmares, but he let himself drift off to sleep anyway. Maybe the next morning his wolf would be back, and he wouldnt be so alone anymore.

He could only hope. 


	13. Awareness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy wakes up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who inspired me to keep going. You rock, all you people who have left comments or kudos, and those that write their own amazing stories. Kudos to YOU

He'd been in the cage for nine goats. He was inside, there were no windows, no clocks, no way to see how much time had passed. So he had been counting time by the amount of goats he was given, perhaps one per day. Okay, so some of them had been sheep, so whatever. It had been nine animal's worth of time. Eight kills. The ninth goat stood there shaking, all chained up. Tommy had found that it was one of those fainting goats. He'd gotten quite a bit of amusement out of surprising the small animal into going stiff and toppling over. He must have done it dozens of times. Now he was just ignoring the animal.

He felt a little bad for killing all the other goats (and sheep). He hadn't been able to help himself, he'd needed the release from slaughtering the others. He'd needed to take out this rage on something. He still didn't know what he was so angry about. The Headmistress kept shooting him up with something that made him feel woozy, although he hadn't been taken down by it for at least four goats now. 

The door opened and he looked over at it from where he was laying on the makeshift bed. The Headmistress walked in, her eyes lighting with a bit of surprise when she saw that the animal was alive and unharmed. The turned to Tommy and looked him over. "Thomas. How are you feeling?"

Tommy considered making a smart-ass remark. He always enjoyed being a mouthy little fucker. But at that moment, he just wasn't in the mood for sarcasm. "I feel... calmer. I suppose. Still furious, but calmer."

 “That’s good,” The Headmistress said. “Much better. You’re calming down.” She dared to step closer to the cage, but Tommy didn’t miss the caution still in her gaze.

“How long have I been in here?” Tommy didn’t get up, he didn’t want to challenge her. A deep pit of fury still burned inside him, but instead of the wildfire it had been before, it had changed to white-hot embers. Not as violent or uncontrolled, but hell, could they still burn.

The Headmistress inclined her head, eye looking him over, before she responded. “Almost a month. I realize that a situation such as this can be… disorienting, to say the least.”

“Nine goats over a month,” Tommy murmured. He looked at the shivering animal in the corner briefly. “Eight.” When he turned back to her, his eyes were narrowed. “You kept shooting me up with something. That’s why I was so disoriented.” He knew better than to use an accusatory tone with her. Instead, he settled with one that conveyed his confidence in the truth of what he was saying, without too much accusation.

“That’s part of the reason, yes.” She smiled softly. “But it looks like we won’t have to do that anymore.” Her face had healed from the scratches. Werewolves healed faster than humans, but only when their wolves were in play. Take away the wolf, and they were just as weak as a regular human.

“Your face,” Tommy said. “It’s better.” Scenes flashed in his mind, of blood and screaming and hate. He shook his head quickly to clear it before realization dawned on his face. “I was the one who hurt you.” Again, it was a statement, not a question, but this time, he sounded more astounded. Like he couldn’t believe what he was saying, even if he knew it was the truth.

“It is fine,” she said back. “Some things just have to be done.” She stepped forward again, and the jingling in her hair caught Tommy’s attention. She was holding keys.

“You’re going to let me out?” Tommy asked, almost on a whisper. “But I don’t… I still don’t know why I’m even in here in the first place.”

“But your wolf does,” she said back. “And he has calmed enough that you won’t lose control again, which is all I need to know.” With a small click, she unlocked the door and pulled it open. When she stepped back and looked at him, Tommy hesitated. He’d killed in this cage, for no reason other than bloodlust. What’s to say he wouldn’t do it out there? And if he did, it wouldn’t be some goat. It might be a person.

“It is alright, Thomas,” the Headmistress said softly, holding out a hand. “I promise.” The sheer quiet confidence in her voice gave him his own. There was no question as to why she had the position she did. She was just a damn good Alpha, especially when dealing with volatile teenagers. He took her hand and stepped out of the cage. As soon as he was free of the confinement, he felt his wolf breathe a sigh of relief. It hated being contained. They walked out of the room and into a hallway that led to a set of stairs. There were no windows, so Tommy couldn’t know for sure, but he got the feeling they were underground. Perhaps a bunker, of sorts.

“Where are we going?” he asked, looking at her out of the corner of his eye. She raised a brow at him, a smile playing on the edges of her lips.

“To get you into a shower. You’ve got a month’s worth of blood, sweat, and teenage-boy funk on you.” That made Tommy laugh, and for the first time in a long time, he felt some humanity.

It wasn’t until he was standing under the hot stream of water that his memories started to come back. At first, they were fuzzy, and didn’t make much sense. But, it seemed, with each drop of water that fell on his skin, a piece of the puzzle fell into place. When the picture finally became clear, Tommy knew why he was so enraged. He almost expected to lose it again, but his wolf was calm(er), and only his human side could react. Instead of falling back into the abyss, he slammed his fist into the tile wall. That, his wolf was just fine with, and the extra kick shattered the tiles with a loud crack.

The Headmistress threw open the door. Only in the werewolf world could a school official walk in on a teenage student in the shower and no one thought a damn thing of it. “Thomas?” Some of the tension in her body dissipated when she saw he was still in human form, but she still watched him warily.

“Tell me you skinned the bastard.” Tommy’s voice was low and full of hate. “Tell me you pulled his nails off with pliers and watched him scream.” He didn’t mean it, not really. But… he kinda did.

“You know very well we can’t do that,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. But, he didn’t miss the hint of amusement in her voice. “Both students are being dealt with.”

“Both?” He turned his head to look at her, shock and horror in his eyes. He didn’t have the details. All she’d told him was that Adam had been… he couldn’t even think it.

She took a deep breath and pushed it out. “A male student was the one who did it. A female held Adam down.” There was sorrow in her eyes.

Tommy didn’t miss the implication. Adam was a big guy, he could have fought off a female if he was fighting for his life. Unless, she used his Omega mark. “She was an Alpha. He was too?” When he Headmistress nodded in confirmation, he snarled. “Alphas are supposed to protect and lead! Didn’t anyone teach those assholes that?” Then he remembered how small the Alpha class was. Which meant he would know the offenders. “Who?”

The Headmistress hesitated for a moment before offering. “Hannah Marcus and Drake Wild.”

Tommy’s lips pulled back in a snarl. He knew the two, but he had never been friends with them. They’d been too powerhungry, too high on themselves. “I want my shot at them,” he said suddenly, stepping out of the shower and grabbing a towel.

She pulled her head back like a snake, eyes narrowing. “No. You know we can’t do that.”

“You said Adam was mine,” Tommy said, turning to point a finger at her. “My Omega. My pack. You either take that shit seriously, or you separate us.” Wolf law stated that if an Alpha hurt a member of another pack without cause, that member’s Alpha got to “reprimand” them. Or, basically, take it out on their hides.

That made her pause, before she said. “They’ve already been punished. And no adult wolf alive will support your claim at your age.” She didn’t sound sure, though. She sounded like she was trying to make an argument that she didn’t believe in herself.

Tommy crossed his arms over his chest, but let that one drop. For now. Another question was burning in his throat. He’d been avoiding it since he remembered, but knew he couldn’t avoid it forever. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to know the answer. Fuck, he did. But, depending on what the answer was, he wasn’t sure he could handle it. “How’s Adam?”

The Headmistress motioned for him to follow her out of the bathroom. There were clothes laid out for him outside, and all sorts of toiletries he might need. Once he was, in all accounts, looking and smelling like a person again, she spoke. “He’s been hurt badly. Not physically, but… inside.”

“How bad?” Now that he’d cracked the ice, he had to know.

“He won’t let anyone who’s not an Omega or a teacher near him,” she said. “And the Alpha teachers are a hit or miss. He won’t let anyone touch him. His grades haven’t suffered much, but that’s because he’s only been studying for the past month. He holes up in his room at every opportunity.”

“His room?” Tommy didn’t miss that either. Not “your” room, but “his” room.

She took another deep breath. “We’ve had to move all your stuff out, Tommy. He wouldn’t go inside the room when it smelled so much like an Alpha, but we didn’t want to move him to another room where things would be new and scary.”

Tommy paced the room, thinking. He wanted to murder those two Alphas, but Adam was more important. He’d give up retribution any day to have Adam back. “What do I do?” He stopped and turned to look at her. “How do I make this better?” Suddenly he realized why packs weren’t allowed to form before the wolves reached adulthood. Tommy didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know how to help his pack. The feeling of being a helpless child washed over him in a wave, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.

The Headmistress walked over to him and set a hand on his shoulder, saying softly. “You try.”


	14. Solidarity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy comes back to school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's so short! Gotta get back into the swing of things.

Sutan was there to greet him the next day when he got back to school. As soon as Tommy saw him, he grinned and ran over to his friend, jumping on him and wrapping his legs around his waist. "Sutan!" After a month of being confused and alone, it was nice to see a familiar face. Tommy buried his face in the crook of Sutan's neck and inhaled that scent he knew so well. It smelled like home.

"Snuggly as ever, aren't we, Tommy Joe?" Sutan pressed a sloppy kiss to Tommy's temple, squeezing him tightly. The taller boy dropped him down, smiling tenderly now. "It's good to have you back, Teej."

"It's good to be back." Tommy's eyes hardened, and he took a deep breath. "I was gone for a long time, Sut." He thought of the vague memories he had of the cage, the lambs and goats he'd killed, the blind rage he'd felt. That rage was still there, but it was focused now. 

"But you're back now," Sutan said. "That's what matters. Come on, let's get to class." 

Tommy headed towards the classroom he remembered, only to have Sutan grab his arm and pull him towards a different room. He gave him a look, and Sutan said. "Classes have changed a bit since you've been gone. We've all got a rank-specific class now, at the beginning of the day." He didn't explain more, and Tommy wondered if the incident had caused the change in the schedule, or if it had just been convenient. 

They were the last two students to arrive to the class, and as soon as they walked in, Tommy felt the air change. Hannah and Drake, the offending Alphas, weren't there, but every single Alpha in the room was looking at Tommy. Tension stretched out in the room like a rubber band and Tommy tensed, preparing for a fight because he knew the other Alpha children knew that he had broken a rule, his wolf had claimed a packmate. What he didn't expect was for one of the students to stand, looking at him. It was like a cascade, the other Alphas all stood, and Tommy's breath came out in a rush when he realized it was out of respect. Alpha's couldn't submit to a wolf, so they couldn't bow their heads in respect like anyone else might. Instead, they would stand when a wolf they respected stood or entered a room. Tommy resisted the urge to look up at Sutan and confirm that this was really happening. Instead, he took a step into the room, looking over all of them, catching eyes and feeling a sense of solidarity he'd never felt with these Alphas before.

"Alright, let's get started," the teacher said, but the other students didn't sit down until Tommy sat down. The teacher cleared her throat and spoke again. "We've been talking about handling the emotions that an Alpha feels when they're connected to their pack. We've gone over protectiveness, and a bit of possessiveness, but now we're going to talk about what happens when something happens to a packmate that you cannot control. Given his firsthand experience... Mr. Ratliff, would you be kind enough to share your experience?"

Damn, they really didn't pull their punches here. And it seemed everyone had just accepted that Adam "belonged" to Tommy. After being stuck in a cage for a month, the Headmistress probably couldn't keep the matter silent. The adult Alphas and the Council may not accept it, but the Headmistress owned this school. Tommy didn't want to talk about it just yet, but at the same time, he couldn't back down from this either. He ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath. "Fury. I was furious. Absolutely fucking livid. I couldn't think. I wanted to kill something, anything, everything. For a long time, my anger was very unfocused."

The teacher nodded. "That happens a lot in younger Alphas," she said, addressing the class more than Tommy. "Having the ability to focus anger like that comes with age and experience, but there are many mature Alphas out there that still struggle with it." She looked back at him, and asked, "How was this anger managed in your case?"

"I was kept in a cage, unable to hurt anyone," Tommy admitted, resting his elbows on the table. "They gave me goats to kill. Something for my wolf to take out his anger on, to tear apart and feel like he'd accomplished something. That kept him sated until I was able to come back and regain control. I remember bits a pieces of it, but not everything. The rage..." Tommy looked down for a moment, then steeled his will and looked up and over the room, at his classmates and allies. "The rage is still there. I'm still fucking pissed. It's focused now, so I won't hurt those that don't deserve it. But it's boiling inside me like acid."

The teacher smiled and softly said, "language," before nodding and continuing. "And what else did you feel?"

"Fear," Tommy said, and although it wasn't a fun emotion for Alphas to admit to, it was important. "Fear for my packmate. Helplessness that this... thing happened to him and there was nothing I could do to erase it. Guilt..." Tommy fought not to hide his eyes again. But he was stronger than this, he could talk about this. "Guilt that I wasn't there to protect him. I should have been. It wouldn't have happened if I was there."

"Thank you for your candor, Mr. Ratliff," the teacher said, nodding to him before raising her chin. "Guilt, helplessness, and fear are all things we Alphas can be unaccustomed to dealing with. We accept our anger, as we see it as a sign of strength. But a true Alpha does not just feel anger when one of his pack is hurt. He feels all these things, and that it natural. We must accept that, despite our best efforts, we cannot control everything that happens to our pack. That is where a wolf such as a Beta can come in to help the Alpha deal with his emotions and continue to lead the pack effectively." She pointed her finger at the class. "Never think a pack is as strong as it's Alpha. A pack of wolves is only as strong as their bond, the connection they have and the will to keep going, keep fighting. Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omega, they are all important and they all play a part. You Alphas do not have a pack because you have power. You have power because you have a pack."

* * *

 

"That was intense," Sutan commented as they sat down for lunch. Tommy supposed he could have been talking about the other classes they had, but in his heart he knew they were talking about Alpha class. 

"Try it from my end," Tommy commented dryly but without any real venom in his voice. He poked at his food and glanced across the cafeteria, only for his eyes to fall on the very wolf occupying his mind.

Adam was sitting at a table in the corner with a few Omegas but away from everyone else. His eyes were glued to his food, but Tommy knew that he wasn't really seeing it. There was still a wide quality to his eyes, betraying the images that must have been replaying behind them. His hair was a mess, either because he hadn't been brushing it, or because he'd been pulling on it in anxiety. He was pale, that natural glow he seemed to have missing, and he was skinnier. He either hadn't been eating, or hadn't been keeping it down. Tommy's mind flashed back to the night he went to the Omega gathering, when Adam sung. How confident and free he'd looked. That Adam was gone, and Tommy didn't know if he'd ever get him back. 

Tommy's leg were taking him to his feet before he could think about it, until he saw Brad walk over to sit down next to Adam and shoot him a look across the cafeteria. He shook his head just a bit, telling Tommy not to come over. But at least his eyes were understanding, from what Tommy could see, not accusatory. Tommy sat back down with a lump in his throat, knowing Brad was right. He couldn't go corner Adam in front of everyone, even if all his wolf wanted to do was snuggle up next to Adam and bury his face in Adam's neck. 

"You can't do it, Tommy Joe," Sutan said softly. "You shouldn't even be looking at him." He clicked his tongue when Tommy didn't break his gaze and reached out to gently touch Tommy's chin, pulling it so that Tommy was looking at him. "He can't stand any Alphas, Teej. Even you. Don't make him feel any worse by staring at him." 

"I know,  _I know_ ," Tommy whispered. "But he's mine, Sutan. He's mine..." 

Across the cafeteria, Adam glanced up as Brad sat down, relaxing just a fraction when he saw it was his friend, before tensing again and looking down at his food. Brad made his usual jokes about the school's food quality, before saying, "we still gotta eat it, though." He looked up at Adam. "You gotta eat it."

"I know," Adam muttered. He picked up his fork, but only really pushed the food around.

Brad sighed and turned to one of the other Omegas, talking to her about the new classes. Vaguely, Adam caught him say, "I heard all the Alphas stood in their class when Tommy walked in."

Adam's head snapped up. "T-... he's..." 

"He's back in school," Brad said, not making Adam say it. He did, however, watch Adam for his response.

Adam felt a tightening in his chest. He wasn't any more afraid than he had been, but the idea that Tommy was here,  _his_ Tommy, had his mind spinning. He picked at his food, taking a few bites. He wondered if Tommy would come see him, but he knew he would just run away...

Still, he chanced a glance across the cafeteria, and for a moment, their eyes met. Adam felt something jerk deep inside him, and then his eyes rolled into the back of his head and all he saw was blackness. 

 


	15. The Wolf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam and Tommy both get a surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's so short! It just needed to be this way... more next time, I promise!

"Adam? Adam. Shit, man." It was Brad's voice, thank the moon. Brad and not some Alpha. Adam blinked and opened his eyes, looking up to see Brad bent over him. He looked around and found that he was in the infirmary. He was covered in a sheet, and by peeking under it, he found that his clothing was still on but was rather torn. He tensed for a second until he recognized the tears as those what often happened when someone changed shape. He swallowed the lump in his throat before looking back at Brad.

"What happened?" Adam asked softly. His entire body ached. His throat was sore as if he’d been screaming, but that wasn’t anything new. He screamed every night unless he took the meds they gave him, and then he didn’t dream. He pulled the sheet higher but sat up.

“You seemed to have a seizure.” Adam recognized the Headmistress’ voice from the door. She was standing outside it so he couldn’t see her, which was good, because the mere sound of her strong, confident voice made him tense.

“You were jerking,” she continued, “foaming at the mouth. Your body seemed to be going back and forth between wolf and human, without ever quite making it to full wolf. You’d grow fur and claws, and then shudder back into human form. It seemed, perhaps, that your wolf was trying to come out. But you still haven’t felt his presence?”

Adam shook his head, then remembered that she couldn’t see him. “N-no,” he said. “He’s hiding…” His grip on the sheets tightened. He still couldn’t feel his wolf. Brad sat down on the end of the bed and put his hand on top of Adam’s shin over top of the sheets. He rubbed his leg, just making soft noises to help calm his friend.

“What was going on before you passed out?” the Headmistress asked, a serious note to her voice.

Adam swallowed, a knot in his chest forming. He thought back to meeting Tommy's eyes, and he was scared. Scared of what it all meant. "I don't remember," he said quickly. "I... I don't remember what happened." The Headmistress made a noncommittal noise, but let it drop. Adam was allowed to go back to his room, and he quickly went to bed. He was exhausted, sore all over, and ready to sleep like the dead.

* * *

Tommy woke to a huge weight pressing on his chest, so heavy he could barely breath. He made a choking sound and opened his eyes, only to come back to face with a long black snout and a wet nose. Adam's eyes were down, and for a second Tommy tensed, afraid that Adam's eyes were on his throat, and that his wolf was angry, wanting revenge. But when the wolf leaned forward and nosed Tommy's chin, whining, Tommy realized that his eyes were down in submission. 

"Adam?" Tommy whispered, voice hoarse. The wolf whined again and Tommy looked into it's eyes, seeing recognition but not... not humanity. This was the wolf, this wasn't Adam. Adam probably wasn't even conscious. 

"Okay, dude, I can't breathe, get off," Tommy managed, pushing at Adam gently. The wolf jumped off him and onto the floor, and Tommy was grateful he didn't have a new roommate yet, or this would be really hard to explain.

Tommy sat up in bed and looked down at the wolf, who was hanging his head, tail lightly tucked between his legs. He swore softly and slid to his knees in front of the wolf. "Hey... you shouldn't be here without Adam," he whispered, quick to continue with, "But I'm glad you're here..." He reached out and ran his hand through the fur on the top of the wolf's head, careful not to touch his neck, where his mark was buried even below his fur. Something inside him loosened, some tension he'd been holding, and he leaned forward to hold the wolf to him. 

"Why did you come?" he whispered. "Why did you come to me? I thought you were hiding..." The wolf just whined and pressed closer to Tommy, licking at his jaw and wagging his tail low to the ground.

"Damn straight, I'm your Alpha," Tommy muttered, holding on tighter. "I've got you. You can always come to me..." 

Tommy sat down on the ground, legs straight out in front of him. Adam's wolf laid down next to him, resting his head in Tommy's lap, occasionally whining and snuggling closer. They stayed like that for hours, continuously touching, just taking comfort in each other's presence. But when the first rays of light started to show above the horizon, Tommy sighed and pushed at Adam to get him to stand. 

"You can always come to me," Tommy whispered, "but right now you have to go back to your room, okay? Adam will wake up soon. He'll be very scared if he wakes up here." The wolf whined, and Tommy just lowered his head, giving the canine his best gentle reprimanding look. The wolf gave him a few more nose kisses before hurrying off, and Tommy slumped against the ground. He hadn't gotten any sleep; but he felt better than he had in a long time.

* * *

 

Brad noticed it first. The tension was still there in the line of Adam's spine, but he seemed... more at peace. Less twitchy, less fidgety. Brad sat down next to him in class, murmuring, "How are you doing, Adam? You look... better."

Adam glanced at him and back down, before adjusting, rolling his shoulders. "I'm exhausted, like I didn't sleep at all. But... I am better. There's a humming that used to be there that's gone now."

"Well... I'm glad you're feeling a bit better," Brad said, deciding to let it go for now. But he kept an eye on Adam... and it was nice to see that his friend could take a full breath again. 


	16. Thunderstorm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy learns an Omega secret.

"I wanna see the moviiieeee!" Tommy whined, kinda dramatically because there was no one around to hear him. He was locked in the dorm, because the power had gone out and all the doors were electronically managed, meaning when the power was out, you were either locked the fuck in or locked the fuck out. It was monthly movie night, and this month there was a good one, a horror film. Tommy's favorite. He'd spilled soda on himself and had run back to the dorm for a new shirt when the storm hit. And now he was locked in.

Tommy gave the door another particularly hard kick, swearing loudly when pain cracked up his leg. He hopped a few times on one foot, holding the other in his hands, and once again thanked the moon that no one was around to see him. Everyone else was in the gym, watching the movie on the sheet they always put up as a projector screen. Tommy's voice echoed against the walls, accompanied by a particularly loud blast of thunder. 

Since there was nothing better to do, Tommy headed back to his room. At least there, he could find something fun and/or productive to do. His wolf eyes had no idea finding his way in the dark, through various hallways on his way to his room. It was hid wolf ears that stopped him though, catching a noise from one of the rooms, and his wolf nose that lured him into the room. His wolf wasn't on fear alert, it was on pack alert. One of his pack had been here, was still here now.

And there was only one wolf that Tommy's wolf counted as pack. 

"Adam?" Tommy called softly, entering the dark room. The only response he got was a whine, coming from under the bed. How the hell Adam managed to fit his huge body under the bed when Tommy could barely fit, Tommy had no idea. But then, he was an Omega, and that was one of their fortes. 

Tommy thought about leaving him. The power would be back on in a few hours, and Adam would be fine in there. Safe, and everything. But he just couldn't. This was Adam... and Tommy wanted his Adam back. Still, he knew that if he pressed, Adam would probably only dig himself farther into his little nook. So, Tommy just sat down, his back towards Adam, and waited. After a while he began to hum a little tune to himself, just trying to stay relaxed. Anxiety would only scare Adam's wolf, even numb as it was. 

Tommy was just starting into his tenth hummed song when he heard a small voice. "You just gonna sit there?" Adam was feeling up to conversation, it seemed, which had to be a good thing. He hadn't flipped his shit from fear of an Alpha. And Good Moon, Tommy's missed his voice. Missed the bell-like quality, how clear it was even when it was rough. 

"Yeah," Tommy answered, not looking back. "I could make some slightly plausible excuse about wolves being pack animals and not wanting to be alone in a storm and all that shit... but I really just wanted to be near you..." He paused and started playing with his hair. "I miss you, you know..." He cleared his throat as he stared at the braid he was slowly making. "So why are you in here, anyways? I mean like, I needed a new shirt, but why are you in here?"

"Forgot something," Adam answered softly. There was a pause before the sound of shuffling, and the next thing Tommy knew, Adam was there, sitting next to him. He turned to look, only for Adam to quickly say, "Don't! Don't look at me... please... I think I can handle it if you don't look at me..." 

Tommy jerked his head back like a puppet on a string. He was glad the darkness somewhat covered up the burning in his eyes. He wasn't going to cry or anything... but this was Adam. "So, uh, how've you been? Fuck, I mean, I guess that's a stupid question. I, uh... Adam?" He was an Alpha, moondamnit. He was never this bad with words! 

Adam huffed, not seeming to take offense. "Well, I'm alive, I guess." He moved, and Tommy suspected that he was chewing on his nails, but his peripheral wasn't that good. "And you. You were gone for a long time... you're okay?"

"I'm okay. I was fucked up. But I'm okay now. Alpha shit, you know?" Because he felt bad saying he'd been fucked up when he hadn't been the one who was raped. At the thought of it, he felt his wolf surge inside him, still angry. In control, but still angry. A moment too late, he hoped the sudden scent of angry Alpha wouldn't scare Adam off.

Adam seemed to sit a bit straighter, tension thrumming down his spine, and then he slumped, relaxing. "Shit..." He ran a hand through his hair. "That feels good. That actually feels good... like a blanket." 

Pride ran through Tommy before he could stop it. Pride and relief. Adam wasn't repulsed by his Alpha, he was relaxed by it. His wolf wasn't afraid. "I'll try to keep it up," Tommy teased, worrying his bottom lip. They sat there for a while, just enjoying each other's presence, comfortable in the way two people can only be if they own a part of each other. But Tommy's conscience wasn't going to let him be silent forever.

"I'm sorry I left you," he blurted out suddenly, because he had to get it out. It'd been gnawing at him since he'd remembered what had happened. The fact that he'd left Adam in that field, left him alone. "I'm sorry I wasn't there. I'm sorry I put a target on your back." Tommy's eyes were burning again, and he rubbed at them with the heel of his hand.

"Omegas are born with targets on their backs," Adam answered softly. "I... it wasn't your fault they went after me. I'm sorry I couldn't get you out of that cell they held you in. I'm sorry I couldn't come and let you know I was okay. I'm sorry I'm weak and let myself get hurt."

"You're not weak," Tommy snapped before he could stop himself. He managed to lower his voice a bit when he continued, but he had to say this. "You're not weak. Omegas aren't weak because they can't fight, or because they're submissive. Being submissive takes strength. You have to have the trust to follow, and the strength to let your own desires go if they don't follow what your Alpha wants. You have to constantly be watching everyone, figuring everyone out. You have to carry the pack on your shoulders in a completely different way than an Alpha. So don't call yourself weak."

"I felt weak," Adam whispered. "There was nothing I could do. I needed someone there to protect me... I still do."

"I need someone to protect me too, Adam," Tommy whispered, finally looking over at him. Adam looked back, and even if he didn't make eye contact with Tommy, he looked at his chin, and that was a win in Tommy's book.

"I miss you." Adam's voice was tiny, and Tommy hated the wolves who'd made it that way. "You're so fiery, different than any of the Omegas. I want to bundle that up and keep it for myself. My Tommy Joe, no one else's. Even around you, my wolf isn't there but it doesn't feel like an ache anymore. It's not as empty."

"Your wolf came to me," Tommy blurted out, and Adam almost jerked up to look him in the eyes. "The other night, he came to my room... I thought it was you but it was just him. I didn't want to tell anyone because I wasn't sure what to do, and I didn't want anyone to know your wolf was doing things without you. Cause like, that's a serious no-no. But he cuddled up to me... spent the whole night there."

"So he's still there." Adam sucked in a shaky breath and not Tommy knew he wasn't the only one with burning eyes. "He can still come out... Tommy, you have to call him. Please."

"Call him?" Tommy blinked. "What do you mean? I can't force someone's wolf to come to the surface, not like, on command. Not if it doesn't want to."

"But you can," Adam insisted. "They don't teach you that, but you can. If that wolf belongs to you."

"One of those things that Omegas don't tell people..." Tommy said slowly, before turning his entire body to face Adam. "Would it hurt you? I can't risk alienating your wolf. Then it might take even longer to come back." He wasn't going to say "might never come back" because he wasn't going to put that on Adam's shoulders. It was less real if he didn't say it. 

"No, I don't think... not if you did it." Adam looked up, finally, finally meeting Tommy's eyes. "If it came to you without me, it will come to you if you call it. I need to be whole again, Tommy. I can't go on like this." 

Tommy licked his suddenly dry lips. "Okay. Okay, I'll try. But if I get expelled, you'd better petition for me." He wiped his sweaty palms on his pants. "How do I do this shit?" 

Adam held out his hand. "Take it... with your Alpha mark touching me." Tommy hesitated, and then grabbed Adam's hand before the Omega could pull away. He didn't feel anything different, but the sudden tension in Adam's shoulders said he did. Tommy tried to rub soothing circles into Adam's wrist with his thumb, something that might calm them both.

"Now just... you gotta feel for him. Use your wolf to call for him. But he has to be on par with me, if can't be one or the other."

"I need a fuckin' instruction manual," Tommy muttered before looking up into Adam's eyes. He took a deep breath and pulled his own wolf to the surface, who was more than happy to see Adam. At first, he didn't know what to do. He didn't know how to call. So, he just thought of Adam's wolf, thought of the two playing together, hunting together, howling together. And then suddenly he felt it, like a lifeline, like a thin little piano wire connecting them together, and he fucking  _pulled._

Adam's entire body jerked. His head rolled back and Tommy grabbed his other hand, steadying both of them. "Don't go!" he called. "Just calm... just breathe. I'm here." He pulled Adam in, holding him close. "I'm here, okay? You're safe, both of you. Nothing will happen to you, as long as I'm here." 

Adam was shivering, shuddering from head to toe. The minutes passed, and the shudders subsided into a small shiver just here or there. He was breathing hard, head resting on Tommy's shoulder. He said something, and it was so quiet Tommy missed it, until Adam repeated it. This time, it was garbled by the tears that were suddenly pouring out of Adam, soaking Tommy's shirt for the second time that night.

_He's back._

 


	17. Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy tries something new, and discovers how wonderful it is. Also, fluff. This could have been added onto the last chapter, but these are posted as I write them, so sometimes they end up being two kinda short chapters that are related. That's okay, right guys? ;)

It wasn't easy to fit two teenage boys in one twin bed, but Adam and Tommy had made it work. For Tommy, it was weird, being in his old room again, the one he'd left and Adam had kept, but it also felt like home. Tommy hadn't wanted to let go of Adam, and if Adam was being honest, he didn't want to let go of Tommy either. And that's how they ended up in Adam's bed, both completely clothed for Adam's sake, under the covers. They were a breath apart, facing each other, just... enjoying. It had been so long since they'd been close to each other, and they were alone now, without a thought for anyone else.

"Your hair's gotten long," Adam whispered, looking at the front of Tommy's fringe that now fell almost to his chin. It was still as blonde as ever, but it was so long now.

"Yeah... I kinda like it this way." Tommy stuck out his tongue, more at himself than at Adam. He looked up at Adam's face, the dark circles under his eyes, and knew he hadn't been sleeping well. "Why don't you rest for a while? I'll stay here with you."

Adam hummed and closed his eyes, feeling more at peace than he had in a while. His wolf was still nervous, but now it was settled in his consciousness. That big gaping hole inside him was filled. Tommy watched him, eyes skimming over Adam's face. A few minutes passed, and finally Adam burst out, "I can't sleep when you're thinking all over me, Tommy." His eyes opened to look at his friend. It felt good to have Tommy's name on his tongue again.

"Sorry." Tommy ducked his chin on a bit of a laugh.

"What are you thinking about?" Adam asked. Because he could almost hear the gears turning in Tommy's head, and it wasn't conducive to sleep at all. When Tommy chewed his bottom lip, suddenly looking nervous, Adam felt the need to reassure him. "It's okay, whatever it is. You can say it. I'm not going to freak out." Not if it was Tommy, and not with his wolf back. Adam was feeling leaps and bounds better, like he might actually be able to take on the world again. At some point. 

"Are you gay?" Tommy suddenly blurted out. At first, Adam stiffened, thinking that Tommy was somehow blaming him for what had happened, saying he'd asked for it. And then Adam remembered that this was  _Tommy_ , and Tommy would never think that of him. So, Adam answered truthfully.

"Yes," he whispered, nibbling his nails and looking at Tommy's chin. "Why do you ask?" 

"That time," Tommy said softly. "That time we... we've never talked about it, you know? My memories of that night are kinda fuzzy, because I was so drunk, but... we kissed. We like,  _kissed._ So, it made me wonder, you know... you seemed to like it."

"You kissed me first." Adam said quickly, feeling the need to point it out but also afraid that Tommy was angry, even if he didn't smell angry.

Tommy's face flamed red and he looked down, and it was so cute that Adam almost wanted to hug him. Tommy didn't get embarrassed a lot, not like Adam who felt like he lived half his life blushing. Tommy was normally so easy-going, so getting him riled up like this was pretty precious. "I know," Tommy said back. "I remember... I just, I don't know why I did it. And I... I didn't hate it."

For once, Adam didn't feel like the vulnerable one. Tommy was opening up to him, clearly nervous about it. It gave Adam a bit of confidence, because now he had the opportunity to give back, to take care of Tommy for a change. "You've only ever been interested in kissing women?" He phrased it as a question, even though it really wasn't. He knew Tommy preferred women. Hell, he'd only ever talked to Adam about women before. 

Tommy nodded quickly. "Yes, yes, I'm straight." As quick as he was to say it, he was just as quick to qualify it. "I mean. I've only ever had crushes on women. But then there's you. And I... feel weird when I see you with your shirt off. And I guess kissing you wasn't horrible."

"I'm glad it wasn't horrible," Adam muttered with a huff. He reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind Tommy's ear. "You sound kinda confused... you don't have to worry about it, Tommy. Just give it time, and you'll figure it out. And even if kissing guys isn't horrible, it's not like you have to stop liking women." 

"Yeah, I guess so." Tommy finally looked back up at him, even though his blush hadn't completely disappeared. Even in the dark, Adam could see it suddenly flare again. "Could I... I mean... I don't want to trigger anything. I just... since I'm not drunk this time..."

"You can kiss me," Adam whispered, guessing at what Tommy meant. "I trust you, and I don't think it'll trigger anything. They... they didn't kiss me." He swallowed, trying not to remember that night, trying to stay here with Tommy. 

Tommy nodded, looking very serious. "But if you get uncomfortable, tell me to stop, okay? Even if it's just a little." When Adam nodded, Tommy steeled his will. He looked over at Adam, thinking about what he would do if Adam was a girl. If couldn't be that different, right? So, he just decided to rely on instinct and moved to straddle Adam, moving overtop of him. Adam tensed for a second, but quickly relaxed when Tommy made no move to pin him or grab his wrists. He just waited. And waited. Waited as Tommy stared down at him nervously.

"I don't bite," he tried to tease. "Unless you want me to."

That made Tommy lips quirk in a smile, and some of the tension leave his body. "If anyone's going to be biting, it's going to be me." He put his hands on either side of Adam's head and leaned down, tilting his head a bit. The first brush of lips was just that, a brush. But it quickly became more when Tommy put force behind it, pressing their lips together. Adam couldn't help but notice how soft Tommy's lips were, and Tommy couldn't help but notice how rough Adam's were. They weren't that rough last time. Adam must have been chewing on them. 

Tommy kept control of the kiss, and Adam didn't attempt to take it from him. It gave Tommy confidence, and he quickly decided he wanted to know what Adam tasted like. He licked at Adam's lips, coaxing them open so he could get inside Adam's mouth. The taste made him moan, a little sweet and very, very Adam. He explored, committing every nook and cranny to memory, testing every little move to see how Adam responded. He didn't pull away until he absolutely had to breathe, gasping at the lack of oxygen and the heat pulling low in his stomach. It spiked to a flame when he saw Adam's face. His eyes were half-lidded and sleepy, looking up at Tommy. His lips were red and swollen from Tommy's onslaught, shiny and wet and open and inviting. 

When Tommy sat back, Adam could finally see how aroused the smaller boy was, and the spell was broken. Adam's eyes shot wide and the scent of fear saturated the air as he scrambled to get away. Eyes that had once been inviting were now glassed over, and Tommy knew Adam wasn't there with him anymore. The hard-on Adam had been sporting had vanished almost instantly, softened by terror. 

"Adam!" Tommy caught Adam's wrists, pushing him down to hold him there, but that only made it worse. Adam cried out and fought, kicking at Tommy.

Tommy let go of Adam's wrists to cup his face gently. "Adam, babyboy, it's me. It's me, nothing's going to happen." He looked deep into Adam's eyes until the tremors subsided, and Adam was left panting beneath him. 

"I'm sorry," Tommy whispered. "I didn't mean to... I didn't mean to make you remember."

"You smelled..." Adam swallowed with a bit of difficulty, managing to speak between gasps. "I could see... Back in the forest..."

Tommy flushed a bit, but this wasn't about him right now. "I know. I'm sorry. I didn't think it would happen. I got carried away and I shouldn't have." Tommy slowly moved off him, and Adam relaxed. He put his hands over his face and took a few deep, shaky breaths. Tommy hated to see Adam like this, especially during a moment that could have been sweet or sexy. Something that should have been pure had been tainted.

"Okay, I think I'm okay," Adam managed. He looked over at Tommy, who was sitting on the bed next to him. "I'm sorry." His eyes filled with tears. Tommy could handle fear, but not the shame that darkened Adam's eyes and made him look away.

"It's fine. Don't be sorry," Tommy said quickly. "It's not your fault. I'm not upset." He laid down again, facing Adam, nose to nose with him in the darkness. 

"You got hard," Adam whispered suddenly. "Kissing me." His eyes were big, but cautious. 

Tommy hid his blush behind a scowl and ducked his head. "Yeah... guess I did." Raja had been right about putting himself in boxes. The box he'd been in didn't seem to fit anymore. He couldn't deny this time that it had been Adam who'd turned him on. And damn, that kiss... Adam tasted sweet and mesmerizing. Tommy could kiss him for hours, and some day he intended to. 

But not today. Not with Adam still healing. Tommy didn't want to push him, and he didn't want to push himself either. He'd had crushes on girls before, but none of them had ever been this serious. Adam deserved his serious consideration. "Let's just sleep," Tommy whispered with a crooked smile. "I won't go anywhere. This is too comfy."

"Thank you," came Adam's voice, almost two soft to hear, and so vulnerable. Tommy didn't speak, but he threw an arm over Adam's shoulders loosely, just connecting them. Soon, the only sound was their soft breathing, twining together like a symphony. 


End file.
